


The Secret...

by winchestergirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-19
Updated: 2007-08-20
Packaged: 2017-10-30 02:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/326697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winchestergirl/pseuds/winchestergirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Winchester' version of The Secret Garden for a challenge over at Reel_Spn. and is set at the real life Winchester Mystery house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Notes/Credits:** I’m going to try and stick as close as I can to the original storyline.(It's in there somewhere I swear LOL)Though there will be some obvious differences. The story begins the night of the nursery fire. It doesn’t happen in this story. The boys are still brothers not cousins like in the movie, the Winchesters are wealthy/well off and own the Winchester mystery house in San Jose California and the most important difference is that instead of it being a garden that they discover I have substituted another object. But that would be telling ….and I want it to be a surprise….so I’m not going to say what I substituted it for LOL

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

**Title:** The Secret... Prologue  
 **Author:** [](http://winchesterxgirl.livejournal.com/profile)[**winchesterxgirl**](http://winchesterxgirl.livejournal.com/) for the [](http://reel-spn.livejournal.com/profile)[**reel_spn**](http://reel-spn.livejournal.com/) community  
 **Movie Adapted:** [Secret Garden](http://www.livejournal.com/stc/fck/editor/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108071/%E2%80%9D)  
 **Genre:** AU, gen, for the moment, SPN  
 **Word Count:** 1,554 this chapter  
 **Warnings:** angsty AU.  


Prologue

November 2 1983

  


Somewhere between Jefferson City, Missouri and Lawrence, Kansas along US Route 50

John didn’t believe the weather could throw anything more at them tonight. It was pitch black along this stretch of the highway; the road was slick with condensation from the thick fog that the moonlight barely broke through. He was always cautious in the bad weather; his entire family was with him in the car. Little baby Sammy, barely 6 months old, slept peacefully beside his brother in the back seat, and his beloved Mary sat beside him in the front.

 

 

“I had a wonderful night tonight, John,” Mary purred softly into his ear “This weekend was wonderful. Although, the boys will be glad to get home to their own beds.” She ran her hand along John’s thigh, “then you and I can celebrate our anniversary some more on our own, Love.”

 

John took his eyes off the road for a moment and smiled at Mary. He’d planned this weekend getaway so they could spend time with Mary’s family in Jefferson City. Tonight marked their fifth anniversary and John couldn’t be happier. At his mother’s voice, Dean stirred, his tiny hand sought out Sammy’s and then stilled as his fingers curled around his brother’s tiny fist. Mary was extremely proud of Dean’s protective nature toward his baby brother. When Sammy had come home from the hospital, she had worried he might get a little jealous. He’d been the only child after all for four years, but he’d surprised her. Dean had been so excited; he’d even insisted that he was old enough to hold Sammy. As Mary had laid Sammy down in Dean’s small arms, she’d observed the fierce love he had for his baby brother. She needn’t have worried. Dean’s face had lit up with pride and he’d looked up at her with bright eyes. “Mommy, I’m a big brother now.” He looked down at his baby brother “I’m always gonna be here for ya, Sammy.”

 

To be honest John was anxious to get home to Lawrence. He’d heard tales of strange things happening along this stretch of road. Nights like this were the cause of all the visions and rumors, he mused. Fog could hide and distort a number of things. Spirits didn’t really exist, he was positive. Well, okay, pretty damn sure that they didn’t exist, but he really didn’t want to find out either. John chanced a glance over his shoulder to his two sleeping sons and it ended up being the first thing he regretted about this night.

 

“JOHN!” Mary screamed, “JOHN, STOP!”

 

Mary’s scream caused his head to whip around his attention focused back on the road. He barely had time to register the woman who stood in the middle of the road directly in front of the car. He slammed his foot hard on the brake just as the woman seemed to pass through the car. The Impala started to fishtail as the tires skidded along the slick surface of the road and headed for the railing. Metal screeched as the car slammed into the railing and forced it to give way. As the metal gave way, the car careened into the churning waters of the Missouri river.

 

 

*****************************

 

 

As John came to, he winced at the pulse of pain above his eye. Dazed, he reached up to touch the bloody gash and winced again at the resulting pain. Mary, he thought, oh my God the boys... He frantically tried to shift in the seat just to see if Mary was okay .It had all happened so fast. Mary seemed to have sustained a head wound, but at least she was breathing. He turned with a wince thinking of his sons. Sammy, he sighed, thank God Sammy was still in his baby seat. Where was Dean? John’s gaze settled on the back window. It was shattered from a fallen tree that was currently invading the car, and water was rushing in as the car began to sink deeper into the river. Dean though, was nowhere to be seen. John pushed up on his knees and leaned over the seat to grapple with the restraints in the baby seat as his youngest son began to wail. Relief washed over him as he pulled Sammy from the seat and cradled his son to his chest. It didn’t last though as he struggled to rouse Mary.

 

“Mary, come on baby, wake up. Mary, please…Sammy needs you and I can’t find Dean.” John had always prided himself in his self-control during a crisis in the military, but this was his family, and he couldn’t find his other son. He wasn’t losing control, he told himself, but damn it he needed Mary to take charge of Sammy. He needed to find Dean. As his hands shook he fought to unclasp her seat belt then shook her gently with his free hand. “Mary.”

 

Mary stirred at her name. “John? Where…where is Dean?” Panic filled her voice and quickly turned it to terror as she struggled to move, searching for the son she couldn’t see.

“Come on, baby, we’ve got to go.” John helped her slide across the seat the best he could with his infant son clutched in his arms and out his door. “You got to get Sammy to shore so I can get Dean. Come on baby please…”

 

Mary cried out in pain as she slowly moved along her seat. “John…my leg… “

 

He glanced down and bile rose in his throat as he saw the tip of bone that had punctured through the skin of his wife’s lower leg. “It’s gonna be alright, but you got to help me, honey.” he reassured her. “Mary …Mary you need to hold Sammy for me, so I can carry you to shore” John coaxed his wife through the shock that her mind was desperately trying to conquer. He handed Sam over to Mary then helped her slide across the rest of the seat. Muscles flexing in his arms he lifted Mary up cradling her against his chest. His youngest son and wife, held safe in his embrace, he struggled against the churning water and the sludge of the river bottom to get them to the bank.

 

Once he‘d settled Mary down on the ground, John turned his gaze to the river and the Impala. Dean was nowhere and the darkness made it twice as hard to find any sign of him. John plunged back into the icy river frantically searching for Dean. He repeatedly dove beneath the surface in search of anything, and any sign, that his son was trapped beneath the water. There was nothing, not a trace.

 

Reaching the Impala, John scoured the car for any sign of Dean. A scrap of material caught his eye, caught on a sliver of glass still in the frame of the back window. It was a small piece of Dean’s jeans and he felt hope rise in his chest.

“DEAN!”

 

*****************************

 

Dean had never been so scared in all his life. He’d woken up to see his Daddy asleep in the front seat with a bad cut over his eye. Mommy was sleeping, too, but the water from the river was beginning to come into car and Dean knew that he had to find help. He needed to get someone to help them so that Sammy, Mommy, and Daddy would be safe.

 

He climbed out the back window of the Impala where the tree had shattered the glass. As he did, he cried out quietly as a jagged piece of glass tugged at his jeans. He pulled hard and as they tore, he lost his balance, tumbling into the water below.

 

The chilled water shocked Dean into silence as the current caught him and carried him away down river. Sammy, Dean thought, I have to save Sammy.

 

*****************************

 

The photo splashed across the front page of the local paper told the story well enough, he didn’t need to read anymore.

 

Third accident in two weeks along US Route 50  
Family survives crash, but oldest child still missing

 

That damn spirit had been nothing but trouble. ‘Course he’d discovered that he was too late when he’d checked the paper that morning. But damn it, that had been three days ago now. He’d been following that damn spirit hoping to send her on before she hurt anyone else. Too late, Bobby thought as he stumbled along the muddy river's bank, too damn late again.

 

Bobby shook his head, clearing away the feelings of failure. Tonight, maybe he could get this spook once and for all. Something wasn’t right though, he just had this feeling he couldn’t shake. Something in his mind was poking at him. As he moved closer to the water’s edge, he spotted a small lump that seemed to be made of twigs and leaves. The shape seemed familiar somehow.

 

Bobby slid over the muddy bank and came to rest next to the lump that he discovered was the body of a small child, barely breathing. Poor little thing was soaked through and almost frozen half to death, but at least he was alive. He knelt down in the mud, as he lifted the boy up into his arms, and sent a prayer heavenward as he stood up.

 

*****************************

The Secret... Chapter 1  


San Jose, California

Present Day (1996)

Sam sighed as he looked out the window with a longing expression. In all the years that he had lived in California, he had never been outside to bask in the sunlight. He’d been bedridden for most of his childhood, his back always paining him, and his chest always tight. The doctors had told his father that he would never walk again. So it wasn’t unexpected that being pretty much confined to his room was driving him crazy. He often wished he could have had a normal life, a life with the brother he’d never known. Fighting, playing rough and tumble games, and sharing a childhood they’d never had.

 

His father had become fiercely protective of him after his mother’s death. He knew his Dad had never recovered from the loss of his older brother; but the death of his wife not long after had devastated him all over again. John and the family had left Lawrence not long after the accident. The authorities had called off the search for Dean after a week along the banks of the Missouri river. They’d never found his small body even though they had even dragged the river. Mary had taken to seeing a spiritualist to try and contact her lost child. Her grief had taken over her life; her only solace was in her infant son.

 

The spiritualist had convinced Mary that she had to move out west to escape the spirit that had driven them off the road that night. Out west she was to have John reclaim his family’s ancestral home in San Jose, what had now become known to many as the Winchester Mystery House. She was, the spiritualist explained, to take up the building that John’s relative had once done in her grief for her husband and child; or Dean would never be able to return to them. John had given in to Mary’s request as strange as it was. He could see how the grief and worry that Sammy might be lost to her as well was wearing her down and it wasn’t as though they didn’t have enough money. If it kept Mary alive instead of pining away, then he would keep building the home just as Sarah once had. The weird conditions of stairways and doors that led nowhere, windows that were seen on the outside and not inside, and all the other motifs that Sarah had begun had to be continued.

 

John had kept building the house for Mary even after her passing, He’d promised, and if nothing else, John Winchester was a man of his word. Sam had grown up to the cacophony of hammers and saws, the construction going on around him constantly. Yet he’d never been able to explore his home. Truth be told he had never really had the desire to do so. His father was more often than not gone after his mother’s death. This had left Sam raised mainly by the staff of the house, his every whim catered to, and every demand met. John had coddled Sam even more after his mother’s death if that were possible. There were severe repercussions for any of the household staff who didn’t follow John’s instructions to the letter.

 

 

Now John was away again, but this time the house was in an uproar. People were bustling around as if the world were about to end. Sam had tried to discover what was going on but everyone was too busy to speak to him today, and that just didn’t sit well with Sam. People came to him when he called for them. So what made today more special than any other day? Sam rang for Ash. Damned if he was going to get out of his chair under his own steam, he thought. That was why they had staff and Ash was supposed to help him move around, but for some reason he’d been redirected to other duties today as well.

 

A sudden knock at Sam’s door broke through his thoughts and the scowl deepened on his face. “About damn time, Ash, goddamn it!”

 

“Samuel Winchester! Don’t you take that tone with me! Lord knows you’re daddy taught you better manners than that!” Missouri scolded as she came in.

 

“I thought you were, Ash,” Sam grumped. The last thing he needed today was to get on Missouri’s bad side. She was the one person he could depend on in the house to be straight with him. “He was supposed to be here to help me get back to bed. My back aches again.”

 

“I’m sorry, Sam, but you’re daddy has Ash runnin’ errands for him today. You’re just gonna have to make do with me.” Missouri mumbled under her breath “As if I haven’t got enough to do today” She grabbed the handles of his wheelchair and released the brake, then looked down at Sam. “I don’t need you getting all agitated.”

 

 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “How can Dad have Ash running errands for him if he’s off on one of those damn hunts he goes on? He goes off for days and weeks at a time, I never hear from him. Yet he has time to call Ash?” Sam looked dejected. Dad never seemed to have time for him anymore.

 

“Oh honey, he didn’t call Ash. They were just instructions relayed to him. You know you’re all your daddy thinks about.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” he was more inclined to think it was the hunt nowadays that occupied more and more of John’s thoughts.

 

He had been disappearing on and off for as long as he could remember. Sam had decided long ago that his dad was hunting the spirit that he’d spoken of that caused the accident when they had lost Dean. Sam knew that spirits were real. Hell, living in a house with a past like this one, you got to meet more than your fair share of weird occurrences. Except Sam seemed to be the only one who ever saw them. The shadow out of the corner of your eye, moving faster than it had any right to, and then gone again until the next time. Then there was the warm and familiar presence that he always associated with Mom, and any number of objects falling over and off walls on their own accord. And well, yeah, there was the ghost of old Sarah Winchester, although Sam didn’t see her very often. Sam sighed as he prepared for Missouri to help him back into bed.

 

Missouri supported Sam as he stood on shaky legs before she helped him turn and sit on his bed.

 

“Missouri? Is my back curving really badly? It’s been getting worse and I can’t seem to sit for as long as I used to anymore.” Anxiety colored Sam’s voice as he made Missouri look him straight in the eye and tell him in a stern voice the truth as she always did.

 

“Sam, I done told you over and over. There is no curve in your back. None other than the one you get when you hunch over. I don’t know what fool notions your father has been told by that doctor of his, but boy there ain’t nothin’ wrong with your back.”

 

“Well, why does it always hurt so much then?” Sam huffed. He knew that Missouri would never lie to him so he believed her when she said his back wasn’t bent, but years of having the doctor tell him that he would never walk, had him second-guessing every ache and pain. As he settled back against his pillows, Sam decided to see if Missouri would at least tell him what was going on.

 

“So what is all the fuss about anyway? I’ve never heard so much noise and activity as I have today. And Ash is off running errands and I know you’re busy…” Sam offered Missouri a big grin and hoped it would help him get his way “Come on, Missouri, what’s going on?

 

Missouri quirked one brow as Sam grinned. She knew he was trying to win her over so she’d spill the beans; she was no damn fool in that department. With a sharp chuckle, she shook her head. “Sorry, Sam that’s for your daddy to tell you.”

 

Sam pushed his lip out in a pout. His grin hadn’t worked and he couldn’t believe it. Missouri always gave in when faced with a happy Sam. ”How can I ask him what’s happening when he isn’t here? Damn it, Missouri, I want to know why all the activity.”

 

“Samuel Winchester! I’m gonna whack you with a spoon if you cuss like that again at me, and DON’T think I won’t!”

 

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, the pout still firmly in place. “I didn’t meant it”

 

“Yes, you did,” Missouri grinned.

 

“Yeah, I did.” Sam returned her smile. “Okay, I’ll wait. You can send Ellen in now for my lessons. I promise I’ll behave.”

 

“You’d better,” Missouri snorted, “Or else Ellen’s going to rip you a new one if you don’t pass these next exams. Remember that now.” She moved Sam’s chair back in its place by the bed. “You just call when you need me again okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

 

****************************

 

Occasionally the hunt took John back to Bobby in South Dakota, except this time Bobby had called him and asked him to come out. The long drive gave him plenty of time to sort through his memories, back to when he’d first met Bobby so many years before. It had been about a year after he had started the hunt for the spirit that had cost him his son, and later his wife. John had been drowning his sorrows at a roadhouse, when Bobby, a complete stranger then, had bought him a drink.

“You look like you could use one of these.” Bobby slid a whiskey shot towards John.

“You don’t know the half of it.” John had replied as he eyed the scruffy man.

 

“Oh, I’d be betting I do,” Bobby answered. “You’re out hunting a spirit. One you need to find and destroy more than you’ve ever needed anything before in your life.”

 

“You’re mad, there’s no such things as spirits,” John bitterly downed the offered shot Bobby had slid his way then slouched back down over the bar in front of him

 

Bobby sighed in frustration, it wasn’t going to be easy training this guy. He was as stubborn as a mule. He could see the guy had had military experience. Could see it in his bearing and the way he carried himself. His military training would help him sure with the weapons and orders, but as to believing what Bobby had to say well that was another matter. ”You know damn well there is. So don’t pretend any different John.”

 

John glanced up through bloodshot eyes. “How do you know my name?”

 

Bobby grinned. “Barmaid, I asked. She told me. Simple”

 

“Look,” Bobby continued. “Seriously, John, I know y’know about spirits; else your sorry ass wouldn’t be here. I’ve seen you a time or two, here, trying to gather more information. Now I can help you. I know a couple of guys who can help train you with what you’re goin’ to need to know. Daniel Elkins is a damn fine hunter, and I’m not bad myself with all the lore and such, though I don’t hunt much anymore. Pastor Jim Murphy can teach you the Latin you’re going to need to know. Otherwise the little knowledge you have ain’t gonna do anything but get you killed.” He drew in a deep breath “But spirits are the least of your worries, John. There are all sorts of nasties out there an’ if you’re going to get involved in this life. You’re gonna need to know all of it. There are demons, John, demons and hellhounds and all manner of things that go bump in the night. So if you’re going to embrace this life then you have to embrace all of it. You have to be prepared.”

 

 

John sat up at the mention of demons. Hell why should that surprise him. It could actually explain quite a lot. He was no fool. He knew he needed to know a lot more about what he was hunting. From what he had learned already, he knew he was in over his head.

 

He offered his hand to Bobby, “John---John Winchester.”

 

“Bobby Singer,” Bobby clasped John’s hand in a strong handshake “Nice to meet ya.”

 

****************************

 

South Dakota

Present Day

 

John kept his eyes locked on the road ahead as he wondered what was so all fired important, that had Bobby call him up and demand he make the trip out to South Dakota. He knew he was going to bring Bobby’s kid back west with him, but that didn’t explain why he had to come all the way out there to get him. He’d left instructions with Missouri to get her to set up a room for the kid in the house, send Ash out to grab some stuff suitable for a kid in his late teens. As he pulled into Bobby’s salvage yard, coming to a stop beside Bobby’s truck, classic 70’s rock was blasted through the windows from somewhere inside the workshop. He shut off the ignition and palmed the keys as he stepped out of the car and stretched. With a grin, firmly in place, he headed for the workshop and as he approached, he spied a pair of denim-clad legs that were sticking from beneath an old muscle car, the booted feet tapping to the beat.

 

John kicked the feet and chuckled. “Hey Dean, where’s Bobby?”

The person attached to the legs rolled out from beneath the car and revealed a kid about nineteen or twenty. He flashed John a bright smile as he sat up wiping his grease stained hands on a shop rag, “Over there by the Buick, but could you do me a favor? Sneak up on him for me. I still owe him for the other night. Date was going real well until he showed up banging on the window like a cop.” He dropped back on the dolly and slid back out of sight with a laugh.

 

“Sure thing, kid.” John chuckled as he headed over to the Buick and Bobby. Dean was a good kid. He had seen him around a few times when he had come to Bobby for help and he was shaping up to be a good hunter, too. Although John had to admit, it sent a pang to his heart every time he heard the young man’s name. His own Dean would have been pretty close to Bobby’s son’s age if he were still alive.

 

Pulled from his thoughts by the sight of Bobby bent over the front of the Buick, John snuck up behind him and yelled as loud as he could. “BOO!”

 

Bobby jumped so high he hit his head on the hood above him. John couldn’t help but laugh. “What in the hell was that for?” Bobby grumped when he saw John. Bobby rubbed the back of his head, as he tried to ease his aching head.

 

John tried to get his laughter under control as he shook his head, “Hell if I know, but Dean said he owed you one after the other night.”

 

Bobby thought for a moment before realization lit up his grizzled face, “Oh, right, the other night with whatshername in the car.” He snorted in amusement, “You should’ve seen their faces. It was pretty damned funny” John nodded as he cleared his throat because honestly he could picture it. “By the way since when did you start siding with your …ahh never mind.”

 

“Siding with my what? “ John frowned in confusion. It sounded as though Bobby was going to say something else but he’d cut himself off before finishing the thought.

 

“Come inside, John. I told you I had some information about the hunt. Seems I’ve discovered more about your hunt than even I ever wanted to know” Bobby’s tone changed, his mood suddenly sad. “I’m gonna have to get you to call Dean in for me. He should hear this, too.” Bobby sighed as he grabbed three beers from the fridge and sat down at the old and scarred kitchen table. Funny how he felt the way the table appeared, but after this, one of them was gonna have what they had always wanted, yet the other would lose something that they’d never have again.

 

John turned and walked out the backdoor to call Dean inside the kitchen. He scraped his boots on the doormat before he came back in, followed on his heel by Dean. “What’s this all about, Bobby?” Dean questioned as he wiped the oil from his hands. “You know I gotta get that transmission back together by this afternoon.”

 

“It’ll have to wait. Dean, you need to hear this, too.” Bobby cracked open the long neck in his hand.

 

Dean glanced over at John, but he was just as clueless it seemed. Dean shrugged “Okay, shoot.” He grabbed his beer from the table and cracked it open as well before he took a long drink.

 

Bobby studied both men for a moment. Here went everything, he thought as he took a deep breath, literally. “John, meet your son Dean.”

 

****************************


	2. The Secret... Chapter 2

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Two

 

“My what?” John’s eyes narrowed.

“His son?” Dean’s eyes went wide as he nearly choked.

Both men stared at one another in shock, and then John cleared his throat. “Bobby, what the hell do you mean MY SON? Dean? Your Dean? Mine?”

Dean was just as shocked from the revelation as he searched Bobby’s face for the punch line he was sure was coming. “Bobby? He’s my what? My dad?

Bobby raised his hands, gesturing for them to calm down. “Sit down. This might take a while.”

John looked in Dean’s direction and searched his face, the confusion, and shock he saw there made his heart ache. Was this really his son Dean? He’d never thought that he would ever see his son again. He could clearly see how much the revelation had affected Dean, too.

With a deep breath, Bobby started his story, and hoped that both men could forgive him. “Back in ‘83 I was hunting a spirit along the Missouri river, there had been reports of a spirit that appeared in the middle of US Route 50, and she always caused drivers to lose control. Most of the accidents had ended in fatalities. The damn thing was getting beyond a joke. Every time I got close to it, I’d still end up being too late. One night I was hunting along the river a couple of miles down from the latest crash. I came across a body.” He paused, letting his words sink in before he continued. “It was all covered in leaves and twigs. Goddamn if I hadn’t nearly stumbled on top of it, I never would have found it. It was a little kid. It was you, Dean.” Bobby looked over at Dean and hoped to hell what he was about to reveal wouldn’t break both the men in front of him.

“Now I was in such an all fired rush to stop the damn spirit I hadn’t paid much attention to the papers. Sure, I saw the headline about the latest crash, but I never read it. I might have realized who he'd belonged to if I had. Anyway, the kid was so cold and lifeless that I did the first thing that came to me. I called Pastor Jim who located a doctor nearby, one that was used to dealing with hunters. I knew I had to report finding him to the authorities, but I just figured that could wait till I knew the little guy was going to live. “

Bobby looked up at both men. “I never meant to keep Dean away from his family, John. You gotta know I wanted to find them, that I wanted to find you, but for the longest time he never spoke. Not a word. I tried to get him to speak to me, but all he would do was look up at me with those wide eyes of his. He’d shake his head yes or no, but still refused to speak a word. It was only when I told him that I had to call him something, that I couldn’t keep calling him ‘kid’, that he said 'my name's Dean'. It was so damn soft I barely heard it. That was all he was able to remember though, he’d look so damn confused when he tried to remember the rest of his name. Times I was out of eyeshot for even a minute he’d become frantic and when he found me he would cling to my leg. I couldn’t move without him behind me like a shadow. When I took him to the police station in the town I was at the time, he ran off while I went to the desk to talk to the local sheriff. I spent hours trying to find him again.”

“I remember that,” Dean said quietly as he focused on the floor. “I thought you were gonna make me leave. I was so scared. I didn’t remember much before you found me and then I thought you were gonna send me away.” The vulnerability that Dean had let peek through was gone as he lifted his head, the look of confusion once more in place. “You mean to tell me that John here, John that I have known on and off over the years…he’s my dad?” Dean couldn’t control the confusion and hurt in his voice, and though he hadn’t meant it to sound like an accusation, it had certainly come across that way.

Dean turned to look at John. The guy looked like he was about to pass out. Whether it was from shock or what Dean had no idea, but now all the little ‘niggling’ feelings he’d always had whenever John came to visit made sense. This man was his dad. But if that was true then what did that make Bobby? Bobby had raised him like his own son. Was he just supposed to turn his back on his life with him?

John stood and pushed away from the table. He took a step away and then turned back to Bobby. He could see what this was doing to his friend. Bobby had lost his wife not long before he’d found Dean, if he figured it right, so that would have explained why he hadn’t taken Dean to the hospital when he’d found him. John had learned over the years from their friendship that Bobby had a hatred of hospitals after his wife’s death. He didn’t trust them, preferring to trust in the men he knew from hunting. John had met many of them though the years, the network of men and women that had formed to keep each other alive and protect the real world from the things they didn’t believe existed. Now though, to find out after all these years, that his son was alive, and that he’d known him in passing as he grew up… John grasped the back of the kitchen chair as he turned it around and sat down.

“For the longest time …” Bobby began then took in a deep breath and started again “For the longest time I had no leads on Dean’s name or his origins. He was a couple of miles downstream from the accident and by the time I was able to get information about the family involved, well let’s just say the local sheriff didn’t know his ass from an astronaut. His deputy had transferred. The sheriff’s paperwork was sloppy and the names illegible. When I was able to come up with a description of the car the tow guy knew next to nothing. The previous owner had sold him the business two months prior. Everything I did came up empty. To tell the truth, it was as if you’d disappeared, and damn it that just didn’t make sense.” Bobby stood up and began to pace back and forth. “It just didn’t make any damn sense.”

John looked up at Bobby and sighed. “We moved…we left Lawrence not long after the accident. The authorities, they told us there was no hope, no chance that Dean had survived the current. They said they dragged the river for a mile in either direction.” John’s voice trembled as he remembered the pain of his son’s loss. “They said there was no sign. Mary,” his voice hitched, “Mary was devastated. Took to seeing a spiritualist who convinced her she could reach Dean.”

“The spiritualist, told Mary we had to move west to a home I would choose for her. As it happened, a distant relative of mine had passed away around that time, leaving us her home out that way. Mary took it as a sign that what the spiritualist had told her was coming to pass. It was far-fetched and crazy but it made Mary happy and it wasn’t as if we couldn’t afford it. Lawrence… our home there was too full of memories,” John paused. “The spiritualist said Mary was to keep building additions to the home if she ever wanted her son to return. So we added to the home continually, but Mary still pined for our son.”

John glanced through damp lashes at Dean; the kid looked as devastated as he felt at having to reopen old wounds. “I’m sorry, Dean…” his words faded out. John was at a loss, there was no easy way to tell him.

“Mom …she’s gone isn’t she?” Dean whispered.

John nodded. “Yeah…”

Dean’s gaze lowered to the floor again as he nodded. “Yeah.” he really didn’t know what to say. He realized that there was a part of his life now that he was never going to get back. He thought of the woman that had always appeared in his dreams as a kid and the warm, safe, feelings he’d have whenever she appeared. “Was Mom…was Mom blonde? Really pretty?”

The image of Mary appeared in John’s mind as he nodded “She was beautiful. She doted on you kids.”

“Kids?” Dean’s head jerked up, his eyes focused on John.

“Yeah, Dean, you have a little brother”

 

*******************************

 

Flashes of a dark-haired baby with huge soulful eyes came to mind as John told him he had a brother.

There was the image of a little boy, himself, leaning over a crib as he whispered to a tiny baby. “Night, Sammy.”

Dean had always just thought they were images of a life he had wanted when he was a kid. Sure, he had loved Bobby, but there was always just something amiss, a wanting? A mom, a brother, a dad, and then…

Another set of images of a clean-shaven man in a faded USMC shirt with a warm smile that lit up when he saw his family…

_“Hey, Dean,” the small boy ran towards the man_

__

 

_“Daddy!”_

It was John, he thought as his brain connected the images with the scruffy bearded man that sat in front of him. Hunting and the loss of his wife and oldest son had taken its toll on John.

_“Hey, Buddy,” his dad lifted him up on his hip. “So what do you think? Do you think Sammy is big enough to toss around a football yet?”_

“No,” He’d replied with a smile.

“No?” his father chuckled.

Then his mom, the woman that had appeared in his dreams as a kid, had said, “You got him?”

“Yeah, I got him,” his dad cradled him closer as Dean leaned into his shoulder.

“Night, Sam”

“Dean?” Bobby reached out and placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Son, are you okay?”

Dean shook himself free of the memories as he looked up at Bobby, and then turned to John as the small scene from his life ‘before’ returned to him. He saw Bobby hesitate as he spoke the word son as if he wasn’t sure he could call him that anymore. He ran his hand over his face and down the back of his neck, before saying “Yeah, I just remembered, from before … before the accident. I’ve never remembered anything from before. It was just a little …”

“Overwhelming?” John supplied.

Dean grinned, “Yeah that would be a good word for it.” He placed his hand over Bobby’s, reassuring the man with his grip, “It’s okay, Bobby. You tried to find them. You told me I had family out there somewhere. You were always upfront. I just never thought…” Dean shrugged.

“So Bobby, how did you finally connect us together?” John began, “I mean I thought you said that the records were useless. That the sheriff was an ass.”

“They were, and he was. The deputy was another story. You see that car out there Dean was under, by the way he’s a damn fine mechanic, well I got called out to collect it after an accident on the highway a couple of weeks ago. The sheriff of the town was a real car nut and we got talking about classic cars. He mentioned a case he’d had back in ‘83 when he was a deputy over in another county. He told me about a classic ‘67 Impala that ran off the road into the Missouri river. He said it was a real weird case. The father of the family insisted he saw a woman pass though the car when he failed to stop in time. He said they’d found no evidence of a woman anywhere near the road, but that what made it so tragic was that the family had lost their small son. Well, it wasn’t hard to connect the hunt I was on, the year and the fact I had found a small boy. When he told me that the family name was Winchester, I damn near fell over. In all the years I’ve known you, you never told me the details of that night. If you’d just opened up a little more and told me how you lost your son… even mentioned his name…” Bobby’s voice laced with pain as he finished his narrative.

“It hurt too much, even a year later it hurt too much. “ John sighed, as he twisted at the wedding ring that he still wore. “Why’d you think I never came out here at first, Bobby? Why I always met you at the roadhouse? The first time I heard, you mention you had a young son; I knew I couldn’t come out here and risk seeing what I didn’t have any more. It was only years later when the pain had lessened a little that I could face coming out here.”

Dean made a small, amused noise, “Just think how close we were to knowing the truth, all this time. Damn.”

“Yeah, that’s one way to put it,” Bobby turned to John. “Look, John, I asked you to come out here so you could get to know your son, but I really think you two need more time than today to adjust. That’s why I asked you if Dean could stay with you out in California. Give you a chance to connect, introduce him to Sammy.”

“Sammy…yeah. How the hell am I gonna tell him he has a brother back from the dead?” John scrubbed at his face.

“Don’t tell him. Well, not yet, anyway.” Dean said with a mischievous grin. “I kind of like the idea of seeing the look on his face.”

“I just hope the shock isn’t too much for him,” John mused.

“Why? What’s wrong with him? He’s okay isn’t he?” Dean’s voice filled with concern for the brother he barely remembered. He knew it was crazy, but he felt an overwhelming need to protect him.

John sighed. “He’s okay, he’s not in danger from anything, but he’s---it’s complicated.”

“Complicated? Well, hell, I like complicated.” Dean grinned as he stood up, and looked between Bobby and John. “If you don’t need me anymore, I’ll be out putting that transmission back together. Call me when you’re ready to go.”

John watched as Dean left the kitchen and made his way back to the car he’d been working on. “He sure took that well.” He looked over at Bobby surprised.

“Course he did, on the surface. He’ll be mulling it over on the inside for days though. Give him time. As he said he always knew that he had family, I was always straight up with him.” Bobby sighed, “I can’t say I won’t miss him. He’s been the son I never had. But I always figured he’d leave here one day. It’s not like I’ll never see him again.”

“Bobby, I—”John began before Bobby interrupted, rising from the table.

“John, you just look out for your boys. Don’t go off like a damn fool and start hunting as soon as you get back home. Take some time to adjust. It won’t be easy, but you gotta talk to your boys. Y’all got to get to know each other again.”

John nodded. “Okay, Bobby.” he stood and pulled his old friend into a hug, before he turned to walk out into the yard. “Dean!” he yelled. “How long before you’re ready to pack?”

 

*******************************

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Three

San Jose California

Present Day

“Sam Winchester!” Ellen exclaimed exasperated “I want you to study that chapter so that you are done for those exams. I am fed up with all your crap.” Ellen was at the end of her rope. She had tried to get Sam to concentrate on his lessons all day with no luck. The frenetic energy that had surrounded the house seemed to have had infected Sam as well. His mind was nowhere near his work.

Of course, Sam really didn’t see the point of all this hard work being as he was confined to his room. When was he ever going to use any of it anyway? It wasn’t as if he could try a case from home; so studying law was pointless as far as he was concerned. Ellen told him it kept his mind sharp. His father just wanted him to have something to keep him occupied. Well that was his theory anyway.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sam wished he had a clue as to what was going on around the house today. Missouri hadn’t been able to tell him anything. Ellen was just as much in the dark as he was. He resigned himself to being the last to know as usual.

“Sam, look, you’re bright. The fact that you’re studying a subject way beyond your age is proof of that. Don’t waste it, okay? You know it damn well bothers me that you never leave this room, and yes, I know that you aren’t well.” Ellen added. “But, Sam, you can go outside you know. It won’t kill you contrary to popular belief. Hell, it might even make you feel better.”

“Dad won’t allow it you know that---doctor’s orders and all.” Sam sighed. He was tired of having to explain why he couldn’t leave his room to Ellen. She just didn’t get it.

Ellen grumbled under her breath about something to do with ‘mollycoddling men and doctors that kowtowed to the rich’, and then turned to Sam. “Remember, I’ll be back this afternoon so you can take that exam. Till then …STUDY! “

Sam watched her leave then shook his head in amusement. He loved having Ellen as his tutor; he’d always thought her smoky voice and her forthright opinions were refreshing. He returned his attentions to his books, if he didn’t pass these exams forthright opinions weren’t all he’d get from Ellen.

 

**********************************

 

“Missouri, you got a minute?”

Missouri was almost at the bottom of the stairs when Ellen’s call halted her descent. “Sure, honey, come with me into the kitchen. I’m just about to make some tea.” Missouri entered the kitchen, walked over to the stove, and turned the kettle on to boil. “What’s wrong, Ellen?”

“I know you’ve been here since you were hired to nurse John’s wife,” Ellen hesitated, “…and I know it’s none of my business, but is there a real medical reason for why Sam can’t leave his room? The boy is sixteen. Okay, so he’s in a wheelchair, but damn it there are elevators installed in this house, and as old as they may be, they did function. He should be out there, in the fresh air. He doesn’t seem to have anything wrong with his back, although when he gets in his moods you would think it was twisting him in knots.” Ellen paused suddenly aware she was beginning to sound as if she were on the edge of a rant. She couldn’t help it. She cared for Sam, and it had been driving her crazy.

“Come sit down,” Missouri motioned to a chair at the kitchen table. Missouri took a moment to gather her thoughts before she began. “John hired me to look after Mary not long after she got out of the hospital. Her leg, well it was a nasty break, and was in traction for a good long while. Mary was always so quiet. She loved Sammy something fierce, and had him by her bed constantly. She just sort of retreated into herself though after they lost Dean. No one was allowed to speak of him. It just seemed to bring the pain crashing back to her, made it all too raw again. John, well he hated seeing what the grief was doing to his wife. He began to go hunting for what had caused their car to leave the road that might. Hoping against hope that they would find out what happened to little Dean. Nothing ever surfaced.” Missouri rose to tend to the kettle, setting two cups down on the counter. She calmly made their tea then brought it back to the table.

“Well, Mary started to pine away.” She continued as she placed the cup in front of Ellen. “She loved Sammy with all her heart, but something inside her broke with the loss of Dean and she just got weaker every day. I think she tried to hold on for Sammy, but her body was just too weary. After her death, John became more and more protective of him. He’d lost his eldest, and his wife, and his grief just made him more certain that something was after him and his family.”

As she sipped her tea, Missouri’s eyes took on a faraway expression. “One winter when Sam was three, John had taken him to visit Mary’s momma. She was old and not expected to live much longer and John wanted her to see Sammy before she passed. Sam was determined that he wanted to play in the snow. You know how stubborn he can be.” Missouri smiled to herself.

“Oh, I think I might have experienced that a time or two,” Ellen chuckled softly.

“Well, he got it in his little head he was going to sneak outside and play. Only he didn’t count on the snow fallin’ as fast and thick as it did. He got lost in all the white, and when they’d finally found him, he was almost frozen through. Poor little thing escaped hypothermia, but he sure got a bad dose of pneumonia. They were concerned about his lungs for a good long while when he was in the hospital. Every cough or sniffle to John was further evidence that his lungs had never recovered. So he became extremely overprotective and determined not to lose the last child he had.”

“That doesn’t explain Sam’s concern over his back though,” Ellen encouraged Missouri to continue.

“No, that’s true. When he was a few years older, Sam began complaining that his back was hurting him. One of the doctors that John had coming to Sam was convinced that it was an idiopathic form of scoliosis. Others said it was just growing pains. Still others said it was a way for Sam to try and get his father’s attention. John had already returned to the hunt, again, and was barely ever around. Trying to track the spirit and anything else he could, kept him away for weeks at a time. As you well know, that was how he met your Bill. John left it up to the doctors to treat Sam the best way they saw fit. But money doesn’t always buy the best doctors and to tell the truth I think John got one with dollar signs dancing in his head more than Sam’s well being in mind. So everyone here has been told to do whatever the doctor recommends or Sam demands and they do.”

“Except you,” Ellen said with a grin, “I’ve heard you threaten to whack him a few times since I came to live here. Hell, I’ve threatened to knock some sense into him a few times.”

“Yes,” Missouri smiled as she finished her tea. “He needs a good reminder every now and then like his father. I think John saw that you wouldn’t let Sam get away with anything when he asked you to tutor him. As for Sam being unable to walk, well, I believe it’s more that he hasn’t been out of that bed and chair for so damn long that he has just lost the strength. But then I’m not a doctor charging John a fortune either, so what do I know.”

“It’s such a damn shame though. Sam would be a brilliant lawyer if he were ever able to take the Bar Exam. He always passes with such high grades. Not like my Jo. Twelve years old and she seems to think bein’ a hunter is her future. Not if I’ve got anything to say about it though.” Ellen sighed, “I left the roadhouse to get her away from that life. I saw the hero worship she was giving to that Gordon Walker. After losing Bill, last thing I wanted was Jo worshipping the ground that man walked on. John bringing us here to live, convincing me to teach again like I used to…well, it was the best thing for Jo, gave her someone else to annoy besides me.” Ellen chuckled, “Hell, Sam looks at her like his annoying little sister. Which she can be… annoying that is, poor Sam puts up with a lot from her, but I know he does it ‘cause he misses Dean. That boy’s always seemed as though half of his soul is missing.”

“Yeah, he does. Those boys were together such a short time, but from what John and Mary both told me Dean was so protective of his little brother, he was always by his side. When they were small, John would often find Dean curled around his baby brother in his crib. I know Dean is still out there, I just can’t get a read on where.” Missouri shook her head gently “John came to me not long after the accident trying to see if I could help him with the spirit that caused the tragedy of that night. I did what I could, and after, he brought me to see Mary. She was pining away something awful for Dean, and John had asked if I could stay on and look after her as her nurse. I tried to keep her spirits high, give her the hope I felt--“

“You were the spiritualist John spoke of, the one who told Mary to keep building? But why keep building this house?”

“When Sarah Winchester died, the construction halted on the house. For a long time that was the only thing that kept the spirits at bay. While the house was empty, the spirits were happy to roam, and cause all kinds of havoc. But when Mary told me of John’s relative leaving him the house, the pieces began to fall into place. That house…this house, needed the one family that could finally lay it all to rest. But the family needed to be complete, and all of Sarah’s conditions needed to be continued. Sarah told me that if the building went on uninterrupted, Dean would return to them.”

“You saw her…Sarah?” Ellen stood as she gathered up their cups and placed them in the sink.

“Yes, Sam has, too, every since he was small. But he won’t admit to it. I worry for that boy. He knows and feels so much of what has passed in this house. I just hope that one day when Dean does return, he finds the other half of himself he seems to have lost for so long.” Missouri looked up at Ellen her eyes barely able to contain the emotions she felt begin to swell in her chest. “Well, I’ll be…”

Ellen looked through the window, following Missouri’s gaze. A large black truck was making its way up the drive. “Well, it looks as though John’s home from the hunt.”

“Oh, Honey, he’s home alright.” Missouri replied, “But it’s not just the hunt he’s home from. He has a passenger with him, too. Look.” Missouri smiled, her tone knowing “Today is sure gonna be somethin’.”

 

**********************************


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The underlined words are links to pictures of the house and rooms ...some (like Sam's room) made to fit the fic. Notes on where the credit is due for the pikkies will be found on the last chapter when it is posted.

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Four

 

Dean’s eyes widened as he saw the [house](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/00038cwc/g57) for the first time as they were approaching. “You live here?” His voice filled with awe as he gazed out at the sprawling estate. The house itself was [imposing](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/00033f1y/g57) and seemingly endless as they followed the winding driveway. In comparison, Bobby’s home would have only been as big as maybe their tool shed.

“No,” John answered Dean’s question, “We do…you, me, and Sammy.”

“Wow… I just…wow. Do you even know [how many rooms](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003csbk/g57) this house has? I mean this place is seriously huge, and you say that it’s ours?”

John chuckled at the disbelief in Dean’s voice. ”Yeah, it’s ours, and no, I don’t. I haven’t really spent that much time here since your mother died….” his voice trailed off as he realized he really hadn’t. What time he’d been home was limited to moments with Sam. It occurred to him that he really didn’t know either of his sons very well. He watched as Dean pushed open the door and slid out of the truck. Dean stood quietly his eyes taking in every board, brick, and shingle he could see.

The ride back to California had been hard for both of them. For too many of those miles, Dean had been silent when he hadn’t been asleep. Both of them had both been content to let the classic rock on the cassette player speak for them. John had found himself wondering exactly what to say to his son, how to explain all the years and the memories Dean had lost for so much of his life. He knew Bobby had loved him as if he were his own son. Dean had always been a curious kid from the first time he met him, and he knew he was an amazing mechanic. He also knew he was shaping up to be a natural hunter. Other than those few things, he knew nothing of the years between.

John could see Dean had questions, but he also knew from Bobby that he would wait until he had sorted through what he wanted to know first, before he questioned anything. At least in that much he hadn’t changed. He had been the same as a child before they lost him that night. Deciding reflection on the past could wait for later John joined Dean and clapped him on the back. “Come on in, son. You’re home now.”

 

 

************************************

 

 

Dean stood by the side of his [bed](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/000394tb/g57) unpacking what few things he’d brought with him from home. Home, wasn’t a word that Dean would never have used in relation to a house this big. Although, he guessed that it would be now. It was going to take time to get used to his new home, his new family, although he did like the sound of that. He enjoyed that he had the brother he'd always dreamed about as a child. He couldn’t wait to see his brother again. John, Dad (he really needed to remember to call him that now) had come in to see if he was okay before announcing that meeting Sam would have to wait until tomorrow. The kid was already exhausted and was taking a nap---a nap---at four o’ clock in the afternoon? Dean wondered what sort of pussy his brother was, to be sleeping this early hour of the day. Sure, Dad told him that Sammy was in a wheelchair when not confined to bed as they drove, but being in a chair did necessarily mean he was weak. He hoped Sam was okay.

Dean walked over to the chest of drawers and stuffed his last sweater in. Time to check out the house, he thought. With all the hustle and bustle going on, he doubted he'd be missed, and hell, John had said to make himself at home. It was yet to be seen how soon it would feel like home. The house was the strangest place Dean had ever encountered. There were windows he saw on his drive up that didn’t seem to be there once inside the house, and as he’d discovered by accident there were [doors that opened to brick walls.](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003eaat/g57) It was awesome and he couldn’t wait to check it out.

He turned when a sharp knock on the door drew his attention only to see grinning short plump dark woman with a wide smile. “Well, hello, Dean,” she said before she crossed the room and reached out to grasp his hand. “Welcome home, honey. I’m Missouri.” Dean felt the gentle squeeze as she looked up to search his face. “Oh, honey, I know this is all so overwhelming, but I always knew you’d come back.”

“You did?” Dean felt his voice falter before he continued, “How? I mean I never knew John was my Dad till Bobby told us. How could you have known?”

“I felt it. Deep down I knew you were still alive, and now you’re here. You’re the proof that I was right.” Missouri smiled. Sadness flittered through her eyes “I’m sorry your momma couldn’t be here to see you.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Dean replied softly. He hesitated for a moment before asking “Missouri how’s Sam? I mean John…Dad told me he was asleep already. In the afternoon! I mean, I can go visit him. He’s not gonna sleep all day right?”

“Dean, just give it a little time. Tomorrow I’m sure Sam will be ready to meet you. He tires easily, so today he’ll mostly sleep.” Missouri could see how anxious Dean was.

“Okay, tomorrow.” Dean sighed.

Missouri smiled and grasped both his hands. “It really is so good to have you home, Dean. Maybe that’s what it will become at last, a home for all of you.”

 

 

************************************

 

 

Dean waited until dinner was over and the household had settled in for the night before he decided to go explore the house. His father hadn’t shown for dinner and Missouri had reluctantly admitted he had gone back out on another hunt. It didn’t surprise him really. From what little time he’d spent with John he figured being here in the house would have been too restrictive for him. He understood John’s need to be out there hunting. A lifetime of hunting the spirits and other things wasn’t going to stop overnight, Dean knew that, but it would have been nice for John to stay home for at least his first night.

Dean started to believe after a few minutes that he might need a map to navigate his way around the house. He didn’t even have any M&M’s to leave as a trail, and damn wasn’t that a pain in the ass. More than once, he found himself at a hallway that ended with a door to nowhere. He'd even discovered a [stained glass window](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003a7b2/g57) that that was more [like a door.](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003b8sx/g57) Fitted into an interior wall, it had never had any hope of light shining through it. Dean had seriously begun to wonder about the sanity of their famed ancestor as he continued to climb one of the small, winding staircases that peppered the mansion.

As he made his way along the quiet [corridor of the third floor](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003q7tf/g57) soft whimpers echoed along the walls, yet all he’d found so far were empty and [half-finished rooms.](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003dza4/g57) When the third floor refused to yield its secrets easily, Dean tried to follow the eerie sounds as best he could. Time and time again, though he found himself [thwarted](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003gqgb/g57)by the layout of the house. Dean was finally ready to throw in the towel and call it a night when his next turn drew him to the source of the sorrowful noise. He reached out and turned the doorknob hesitantly, hoping he wasn’t about to invade the room of one of the staff members, and peeked around the edge.

An imposing [four-poster bed](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003rqzh/g57) took up most of one corner of the room; a wheelchair sat beside it, and lying there, bathed in moonlight from the window, was a young man. His sleep was uneasy, punctuated by the soft whimpers that Dean had followed. Sammy, he thought, it had to be him, his brother. He walked to the bed, sat in the chair next to it, and smiled sorrowfully as he reached out to touch Sam’s face. So many lost years, and so many things they’d missed doing together as they’d both grown up. Sam leaned into his gentle caress and the whimpers seemed to cease; Dean’s touch calming him. So this was his brother…

As Dean watched Sam sleep, he could still see faint traces of the infant he remembered. But where his Sam had been a healthy and active baby, this Sam was pale and drawn, confined to a wheelchair. Sam may have grown up with their parents, but it seemed to Dean that he’d gotten the harsher end of the deal. He may have had the home, the family, and the money---holy crap they had money---but none of it seemed to make his reunited family happy. Their dad was off on another hunt and Sam had yet again found himself left behind. From what little he’d learned from their dad, on the way back from Bobby’s, Sam really hadn’t had a life outside the house since he was small.

Sam stirred softly and a small moan ghosted past his lips as he shifted in his sleep. Dean reached out once more to comfort his brother, something he wasn’t sure Sam would allow if he were awake. There were so many things, he didn’t know and so much, he wanted to learn about Sam. As Sam settled once more, Dean rose to his feet, ready to find his way back to his room. Again, he cursed his lack of M&M’s. This was worse than when you got lost in the forest, he thought as he moved quietly to the door. He took one last look over his shoulder at his brother and satisfied that Sam was sleeping soundly he returned to his room.

 

 

************************************

 

 

Dean opened one bleary eye to look around his room and squinted against the bright sunlight. Since when did woodpeckers use jackhammers, he wondered as the noise from the constant construction filtered through his sleep-addled brain. And since when did his room get to be so damn bright? He dropped his head back to his pillow, determined to try and catch a few more minutes sleep.

“Hey, who are you?”

Dean glanced up to see a young girl, no more than twelve, in his open doorway. Her wide eyes focused on him in curiosity. Damn, thought I’d closed that last night. Guess not.

“M’ Dean, who’re you?

“Jo, my Mom works here, but we live here, too. Are you gonna live here?”

Dean counted his blessings, when a woman who was close to his dad’s age saved him. She walked past his room her voice sharp and clear... “Joanna Beth, you come away, and let that boy wake up on his own.”

“M’ not a boy,” Dean protested.

“Mmm hmm…yeah, well, you’re John’s boy, and if you’re anything like him you can’t function without coffee in the morning. Come on down to the kitchen when you’re ready and grab some breakfast. We got coffee and whatever else you feel like eating.” She moved away, only to turn back, and introduce herself. “Oh, by the way…name’s Ellen, this here’s Jo, though I think you’ve already met. As I said, breakfast’s ready when you are.” With that, she eyed Jo with a frown, “Come on …eat.” Jo’s protested that she ‘wasn’t hungry’ and demanded to know ‘who the heck is Dean?’ Her high-pitched voice trailed away as they disappeared down the long hallway to the kitchen.

Dean gave up the idea of sleep immediately.

 

 

 

************************************

 

 

 

“So, Dean, how do you like the house so far?” Missouri poured Dean another coffee and snorted as she watched him down his second cup of the morning, “You know you’re gonna be bouncing off the walls, you keep this up.”

“Nah,” he smiled, “Cast iron stomach courtesy of Bobby’s cooking.” He gave it a tap then continued, “As for the house… who designed it? MC Escher? I mean from what I’ve found so far, there are stairs that go nowhere except up with a sudden stop, blind chimneys, and doors that open onto brick walls. This house could seriously mess with your head.”

“You know MC Escher?” Missouri raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Dean grinned. “Bobby had a book about him. He had all sorts of books, and he gave it to me to look at one day when I was little. I think he thought it would keep me out of his toolbox and away from the car; he was working on at the time. Just something about how all the pictures messed with your brain kinda intrigued me. I think I wore it out looking at it.” Dean shoveled a fork of pancakes into his mouth and started to speak again when Missouri turned to him.

“Boy, if you talk with your mouth that full I’m gonna have to teach you some manners.”

Dean hesitated, swallowed, and then asked. “When do I get to see Sam?”  
“Well, now, if you want.” Missouri offered. “It’s normally Jo’s job to take Sam his tray in the morning though I doubt she’ll object if she doesn’t do it today.”

Jo looked up at Missouri with a grin. “Oh, damn, and miss out on all those stairs and a whiney Sam? Hell, that’s the best news I heard all day.”

“Joanna Beth!” Ellen exclaimed. “Watch your mouth.”

Dean grinned as he watched Jo sit down with a pout, before he stuck his tongue out at her. The childish act felt good, and she returned the gesture. “So what do I have to take up?” he questioned, as he stood up and awaited Missouri’s instructions.

Missouri handed him a tray that looked as though it would feed an army. “He’ll tell you he ain’t hungry. Just ignore that and try to get him to eat at least a little of everything. That boy is nothing but skin and bone.” Unaware of Dean’s explorations the previous night Missouri added, “Just go on up to the third floor, follow the hallway till you reach the end, turn left, then left again and you’ll find Sam’s room.”

“Uh, Missouri, you forgot something,”

“What’s that, honey?”

“Breadcrumbs.” he said with a grin as he turned towards the stairs. “If I’m not back in a couple of hours send a search party.”

 

 

 

****************************

 

 

 

Dean knocked on the door softly. He’d never admit it, but he was kind of nervous to see his little brother for the first time in the harsh light of day. How was he going to tell him who he was? Hey, Sam I’m your brother. You know---the dead one. Yeah, that would work his inner voice sneered. Or maybe Hey kid, ever wish for an awesome brother like me? Any more attempts at working out what to say were thwarted when Sam called out from his bed.

“Come in, Jo.”

“Dude, so not a girl,” Dean said as he walked through the door, one brow quirked.

“Yeah, so I see.” Sam looked him over in confusion, “Where’s Jo? She usually brings my breakfast.”

“Downstairs. Annoying her mom and Missouri,” Dean snorted. “Oh, hey, here you might want this.” Dean sat the tray laden with food over Sam’s lap. “Dude, I dunno where you put it all, cause you don’t look as though you have eaten in a year.”

“I eat,” Sam scowled, “anyway who are you?”

“Long story, you really wanna know?” Dean struggled with what he could say.

“I asked didn’t I? What? You think I can’t take it just ‘cause I’m stuck in here?”

“Wait. What? What has ‘you being stuck in here’ got to do with anything?” Dean’s mind tried to follow Sam’s logic and came up empty. “Exactly why are you stuck in here anyway? There are elevators in this house. I’ve seen them. So what makes you think you can’t leave the room?”

“We weren’t talking about me; you were telling me who you are. So, who are you? Someone new my dad hired to keep me busy?” An expression Dean wanted to label ‘bitch face no. 1’ crossed Sam’s face.

“Wow, you really have a chip on your shoulder don’t you, Sammy. No, I’m not someone that Dad hired to keep you busy…” Dean trailed off as he realized the slip he’d made, and wondered if Sam caught it.

“Wait---dad? Okay, what aren’t you telling me? Who are you?”

Damn this wasn’t going how he’d wanted it to go at all. Dean reached up, ran his hand through his hair, and rested it at the back of his neck as he took a deep breath. He glanced up met Sam’s confused gaze. “I’m Dean. You’re brother.”

 

 

************************************

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Five

 

“You’re my what?” Sam spluttered.

“Yeah,” Dean said as he rubbed the tension from his neck. “That was pretty much my reaction when I heard John was my dad.”

“You’re my brother?”

“Yeah, I am,” Dean sat down on the edge of the bed. “Believe me I was just as amazed as you are. I had all these versions of how I’d tell you in my head. Even thought of saying, Hey Sam I’m your brother. You know---the dead one?” He offered a self-conscious chuckle to Sam.” Glad I didn’t go with that.”

Sam studied him before giving a chuckle of his own. “Yeah, me, too, though at least you didn’t dance around the answer. No one around here gives me a straight answer. Well, except Missouri and sometimes Ellen.”

“So, you still didn’t tell me. Why are you stuck up here, why not go downstairs. I mean come on, Sam, don’t you get bored?”

“I can’t walk, my back is crooked, and the bend in it is getting worse. The doctor says I might never walk again,” he pouted. “My lungs are weak and I can’t breathe without my chest getting tight.” He continued to complain and as he did, he seemed to get worse, even his demeanor changed. ”Everyone pretty much comes when I call them anyway. Why even bother? It’s not like I have any friends to go see.” Sam shrugged as he picked at his food.

“That’s such a cop out, Sam. I bet there’s nothing wrong with your back. Hell, I bet there’s nothing wrong with your chest either. Looking at you sitting there now, there’s nothing wrong with you. When was the last time you walked?” Dean couldn’t believe that Sam was convinced of all this bullshit. Sure he was no doctor, and yeah, Sam was a little on the pale side---who wouldn’t be. Especially if they were shut away, like Sam was.

“Show me your back”

“Show you my what?”

“Show me your back. What are you deaf or something, too? Show me this bend that’s getting worse. I wanna see.” Dean realized he was pushing it. He’d only just met his brother again after all that time apart, but this was beyond a joke. He didn’t suffer fools well and Sam being confined up here all this time was just plain stupid. He needed to see this curved back with his own eyes.

 

Sam huffed and shifted the tray from his lap to the mattress next to him. “I don’t see why I should have to prove anything to you, but if you have to see so badly.” he lifted his shirt up and over his back, as he bent forward so that Dean could see the curve he knew was there.

Dean reached out, “Do you mind?”

Sam shook his head. Dean traced each pronounced vertebrae as he went along Sam’s spine. “You’re skinny as hell, but there is nothing wrong with your back. There isn’t a single curve or bend that isn’t where nature put it, Sam.”

“Sure there is, I can feel it, and the doctor has told me for years it’s there and getting worse. What would you know ‘Dr. Winchester’?” He pushed his shirt back down, reached for his plate, and picked at the food before pushing it away.

“Oh come on! That’s so lame.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Sure. Go ahead, sit up here in your little ivory tower, and deny what I can see with my own eyes!

“Fine! I will.” Sam snapped.

“Fine!” Dean threw his hands in the air. “Be a whiney bitch then. Y’know what, I’ve got better things to do. This house? It’s amazing. So you know what? I’m gonna go check it out. I’ll see you later, Sam.”

“No wait! Dean…”

Dean knew Sam had realized he was serious as he headed for the door. He knew that no one walked out on Sam. They wouldn’t dare or they’d have to answer to their dad, maybe even lose their job. Well none of that applied to him.

“Stay...”

Dean focused on Sam and held his gaze. “No, Sam,” he said with a sigh. “Maybe later I’ll be back. But right now, I’m leaving before I say something we’ll both regret. See ya, Sammy.”

“It’s Sam. Not Sammy.”

Dean turned away before he found himself in a fight, stepped through the doorway, and was gone.

For a few minutes, Sam just sat staring at the door as if by sheer force of will he could bring his brother back. He was speechless. Who the hell did Dean think he was? He gets a brother thrown back into his life, his space, his family, and he was just supposed to accept him? He sat there in disbelief. The more he thought about it the more his temper flared. Well he’d show Dean.

“ELLEN! ELLEN!”

 

 

******************************

 

 

“Dean, what the hell did you say to Sam up there? He’s the worst I’ve ever seen him in a long time. He’s up there yelling and cussing a blue streak that even Missouri can’t stop.” Ellen glared at Dean.

“I didn’t say anything that didn’t need saying.” Dean snorted. “He told me about his back and I asked to look. I told him the truth. His back isn’t crooked and there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him other than a shitty temper. I’m not gonna sit there and blow smoke up his ass about it Ellen.”

“I think I’m gonna like you Dean Winchester. Go on, get gone, and do something, before Missouri comes back down. After dealing with Princess Sammy up there she’s gonna be like a bear with a sore head. I’ll explain; tell her you had to go and run an errand or something. Go on, or you’ll have Jo trailing you all day.” The threat of a twelve-year-old girl following must have worked, thought Ellen as Dean took off like he had a hellhound behind him.

 

 

******************************

 

 

Dean had gone up to his room to grab a flashlight before he started on his plans for the day. He hadn’t been lying when he said the house was awesome. He’d spent a few minutes on the internet earlier researching old [Sarah Winchester](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/00036s20/g57), and the reasons she’d had for building the house as she had. Dean knew all about being haunted by the past. Memories had only just started coming back to him of the night he was lost to his family. The woman that had passed through their car moments before they’d crashed had always just seemed like a bad dream to Dean. He’d thought it was just a figment of a traumatic night. He was beginning to wonder if Sarah’s ghosts were becoming their ghosts. Was it even possible that the spirit that night had anything to do with the spirits that had worried Sarah so? They were Winchesters too after all, family.

He shook away the possibility as paranoia. It had to be just a coincidence that the spirit appeared the night their relative died. Bobby told him that he’d been hunting a spirit that had been haunting that stretch of road for weeks. Nah, it wasn’t related to them or their name. It was just a coincidence, he reminded himself. Dean closed the door behind him so that he wouldn’t find a certain little shadow had been in there whilst he was off exploring.

Dean followed the hallway towards the kitchen; well the kitchen he knew . Apparently, there were five or six of them scattered though out the house. Just another oddity to add to the growing list he was making every day. He glanced in and saw Missouri and the others occupied with their daily tasks, Jo was seated at the table doodling. He smiled at the domestic scene before he turned back and continued on his way. [The ballroom](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003ft02/g57) was amazing ; totally ugly as far as he was concerned, but amazing, but that too was only one of two, the other one was still under construction when Sarah died. John hadn’t seen any reason to complete it when he took over the home. Dean understood why though, why would anyone need a ballroom in this day and age?

Following the stairs, he came to another door, reached out, and turned the knob. CRAP! Dean pulled back, at the last minute, as his left foot touched nothing but air. Who the HELL builds [a door with nothing](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003hf03/g57) on the other side? Dean’s heart was racing. He pulled his foot back inside as he looked out at the [ten foot drop below](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003kswy/g57), and the gardeners’ tool shed across the grounds . Damn, the old lady must have been crazy. He shook his head as he closed the door, then turned around and found a new hallway to follow. This time the stairs were lead him back down towards the ballroom before they branched off to the right.

Dean followed the twists and turns for what seemed like forever. As he discovered [another hallway](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003q7tf/g57) that he had never seen before, he stood and mulled over which direction he should take next. He looked to the left weighing up his options before turning right and seeing what it had to offer. Shrugging he took the right hand passage only to be faced with another door. The door appeared as if it hadn’t opened in years, the hinges rusted over, and as Dean went to open the door it protested with a grating, scraping noise. Upon entering the pitch-black room, he could vaguely make out a darkened shape in the middle. The room was huge as though it may have been a barn at one time. Damn, now that’s really weird, Dean thought. Who the hell [had a barn](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0003pcec/g57) in their house ?

Dean cautiously navigated his way to the center of the barn, and then reached out to slide his hands along the surface of the object. Covered in a canvas sheet Dean could make out the shape of the car beneath it. It was far from perfect; in fact, it had seemed to be the victim of an accident. Slowly he lifted the canvas sheeting.

Dean had only ever seen this car in his dreams. No wait that wasn’t right, he knew this car. This was the car they had the night of the accident. Dean had loved this car. Images of that night were coming back to him rapidly. _His dad was buckling him up and his mom was putting Sam in his safety seat. The warm sleepy feeling before the car plunged into the river. And then there was the cold, the shock, and Sammy. He remembered wanting to save Sammy. So he’d climbed out of the Impala, caught his leg on the broken glass, and then there was the mind numbing cold as he fell into the river._

He slid the canvas away and reverently ran his hand along her crumpled lines. “Oh baby, look what happened to you?” Dean crouched down to inspect the damage closer as he ran his hands along the panels. He knew just looking at her. He could repair her. It would take a lot of work but he knew he could pull it off. She’d need a new windshield that was for sure, the crack that was there had travelled too far to repair. He moved slowly along the front. The hood had sustained some dents, most of the grill and bumper he would need to either replace or re-chrome.

He never for a moment thought that he might need permission to fix her. Once she had been his dad’s baby, and now she needed restoring. That was that. The leather upholstery would need replacing; the water damage and years had taken their toll, cracking the leather beyond restoration. The passenger side fender and door were going to need replacing as well. He mentally catalogued the repairs he would need to make. He knew it wouldn’t be cheap and was under no illusions that it would be anything less than a ‘from the ground up’ restoration. Dean sat cross-legged on the floor as he took in the damage. He could do it. He knew he could.

Dean had no idea how long he’d sat there staring at the Impala. The time had passed unmarked, as he’d formulated his plan of action. He’d ask permission for a room to fix up of his own, somewhere for him to use as a retreat. No one had wanted this room. It was all shut up, looked as though it hadn’t seen a human’s presence since the car had been stored. No one was going to hear him restore the car with all the construction going on around and this way he might be able to get it done as a surprise for Dad. Obviously, John still cared about the car but the memories were so painful he'd hidden it away in the barn. “Don’t worry baby,” Dean purred, as he caressed her fender, “You’ll be running again in no time.”

 

 

******************************


	6. Chapter 6

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Six

 

“Hey Missouri, how come all the builders are still adding to the house now that I’m home? I thought that Dad was supposed to keep building so I would return. I mean, I’m back now. Surely they’re gonna stop building soon?” Dean was curious. All the noise from the builders was essential to his plan of restoring the Impala as a surprise. It was going to throw a wrench into all his plans if they stopped.

“Well yes, honey that’s true. But I believe that your father has them contracted to complete the rooms they’ve started as well as some of the more dangerous parts of the house. After the earthquake in 1906, those parts weren’t properly restored. I think that they’re here for a few months more yet honey. Why? Is the noise bothering you?”

“Well I can’t say I’m used to woodpeckers with jackhammers,” Dean grinned, “You never used to hear much out at Bobby’s. Except for the occasional morning when Bobby’s dog Rumsfeld would take off after a jackrabbit or raccoon. Then you’d think it was the end of the world. Considering all the noise, he’d make. It’s a hell of a thing to wake up to in the morning.”

“The construction?” Missouri inquired.

“Well yeah, though I was thinking more of Rumsfeld.” he said with a smile. “I’m gonna miss that dog. Do the builders work all day and night? I thought I still heard some of them working last night.”

“Yeah, they do, but you get used to it. We’ve all learned to ignore it. It’s a little hard at first, though after a while you just don’t hear them anymore.”

Awesome, Dean thought, that would fall in with his plans nicely. “I was wondering…do you have any idea when Dad is due back?” Dean wanted to start on the Impala straight away, now that he’d found her he was just itching to get under her hood. He also needed to know when and if John was coming back. “I was wondering if he would let me pick a room and fix up to use as a get-away. I need somewhere that I can use to escape a certain pre-teen. I guess I’m just not used to living with a little girl running round the place. I swear Missouri, I locked that door of mine this morning and it was wide open when I got back.”

“I think you have an admirer,” Missouri chuckled; “she seems to have a case of hero worship for you now. All she talked about this morning was ‘Dean this’ and ‘Dean that.” Missouri thought for a moment before continuing “I did hear that he was s’posed to be back later tonight, but I think he’s just stopping long enough to speak to the doctor who’s coming to see Sam tomorrow, and then he’s goin’ back to the hunt. You might catch him then.”

“The doctor’s coming to see Sam? Why? Is he okay?”

“It’s just a routine visit, but seeing as Sam got so worked up today the doctor insisted on keeping his appointment. Dean Winchester, ” Missouri trailed off and looked at him with a knowing gaze; she could tell he was trying to change the subject. She knew he was concerned about Sam but he also had an air of secrecy about him. “Boy, you wanna really tell me why you want a room to restore? It’s not as though there aren’t enough people here to do it for you if you really wanted a place of your own. What are you planning?”

Busted, he thought. Dean knew he wouldn’t be able to hide everything from Missouri, not even his poker face could save him from a spiritualist/psychic. He gave her a pleading look, “A surprise. Nothing bad I promise, I just need somewhere and a little time to complete it. Don’t say anything? Please?”

“Aw honey, I’m just teasin’ you. Go on. I won’t say a thing. You know, Sam has been calling for you most of the day. You might wanna go up and see him honey, he thinks you don’t like him after his temper this morning. He’s never really had anyone his age as he grew up. His social skills are a little rusty.”

“Rusty?” Dean snorted, “That’s one way to put it.” He offered her a small smile then turned to head up to Sam’s room “You’ll know where to find me.”

 

 

***************************************

 

 

 

“Dean!” Sam’s face lit up as he entered Sam’s room. “I’m sorry…,” His face fell as he remembered his actions that morning, “I…” Sam trailed off as he realized that nothing he could say would make the tantrum he threw earlier any better.

Dean held his hand up, "Dude, no chick flick moments.”

Sam grinned as he realized Dean was giving him an ‘out’, “Yeah, right, okay.” He kept smiling as he watched Dean cross the room to sit down on the bed beside him, “So what’d you do for the rest of today?”

Dean wrestled with what to tell Sam. He really wanted to tell him about the Impala, but he also wanted to keep it a secret for a little longer. He settled for a description of the house, minus the barn. “Sam, you've never been downstairs? Or ever been exploring this place? I mean, seriously, never?”

“No never. The doctor always insisted my lungs were never strong enough after the pneumonia I had as a little kid to be out in the fresh air. I have these damn air filters working through my room. Fresh air isn’t supposed to be ‘good for you’ in my case.” Sam rolled his eyes.

“Well from what I can see there is nothing wrong with you, so I’m gonna take you to check this place out.” Dean saw the indecision warring within Sam. “Dude, you’re not gonna die. You won’t even be in the fresh air. You’ll be in the damn house air, you know with the sawdust flying around and the drywall and stuff.” Dean rolled his eyes at Sam as he saw him getting ready to protest. “You’re so predictable,” he laughed when Sam’s bitch-face no.1 returned. “I’m joking…bitch.”

Sam laughed, “Jerk.”

Dean could see Sam beginning to loosen up and relax “Come on Sam let me take you to have a look round. What’s it gonna hurt. Look, if you start to feel like shit, I’ll bring you back. We good?”

Sam only gave it a moment’s hesitation the nodded, “Yeah. Why the hell not”

Dean got up to bring Sam’s chair by the side of the bed, making sure the brake was on. “Can you do this or do you need help?” Dean asked, suddenly unsure of how mobile Sam actually was.

“I usually have Ash come help me, but I haven’t seen him for a couple of days now. Dad had him getting stuff done for him instead. Missouri has been helping me”

“Yeah, I think he was getting my room ready. There was a whole lot of stuff added to make it ready for me apparently.” Dean quirked an eyebrow then added, “You’ve been making Missouri help lift your giant ass? Huh. Well, today you’ve got me, so suck it up.” He grinned “Come on”

Dean threw the covers back and helped Sam slide his legs around to drape them over the side of the bed. Sam leaned on Dean for support as he helped him to turn and then sit in the chair, “You ready?” he asked, before releasing the brake and moving Sam towards the door. “Last chance to back out,” Dean offered although he didn’t really mean it.

“Well, I---”

“Nope, not gonna let you, Sammy, come on lets go.” Dean moved the chair through the door, watching for any sign that Sam was going to be in trouble breathing. He didn’t think he would be but he didn’t want to be responsible for hurting his brother either.

They were turning into the next corridor before Sam spoke up, “Hey, I can breathe.”

Dean snorted, “You’re sixteen, and you just now realized that?” He smirked as Sam turned around to see if he was serious.

“You really are a smartass, Dean,” Sam said as he returned smirk.

“Yeah, I’m smart. Don’t think it has anything to do with my ass though,” Dean said as he looked over his shoulder to his ass. “I mean, dude, it doesn’t even talk.” He looked back at Sam with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Come on, Sam, let’s go see if this elevator‘s gonna work.”

 

 

 

 

***************************************

 

 

 

As they returned to Sam’s room, a few strange glances and a lot of whispers followed them. Most of the staff had never seen Sam leave his room. Dean noticed that Sam had started to get agitated and self-conscious due to all the unwanted attention.

“So, Sam, what do you think of the house?” Dean asked with genuine interest. He wanted to get to know his brother better and if things went the way he hoped, then he might even be able to convince him to join him in restoring the Impala. Okay, so he might not be able to get out of the chair, but he could hang out for company, Dean mused.

Sam’s eyes lit up as he looked back up at Dean. “Man, I can’t believe I never knew it was this weird. This is amazing, Dean. I haven’t had a problem once. Can you believe that?” Sam gushed. “I mean what if all that time up there was just wasted?”

“I told you there was no reason to be up there, and what do you mean ‘What If’? Dude, seriously that was wasted time up there. You can’t convince me otherwise. Missouri said you had a doctor coming tomorrow. “

“Yeah, I hate all that prodding. You’d think I was a pincushion. Hey, Dean, will you come back and hang out when he’s here tomorrow? It’d be nice to have someone here who wasn’t gonna sit there and tell me what I can’t do all the time.” Sam looked down at his legs and sighed, “…and I hate this damn chair, too.”

“Sure, Sam, Come on. I’ll help you back to your bed. You know when…” Dean hesitated, not wanting to give Sam false hope “You know when I helped into the chair before…”

“Sure Dean, it’s my legs that don’t work, not my brain, I remember.” Sam rolled his eyes.

“You were supporting yourself, dude. I was just there in case you fell.” Dean wheeled Sam back into his room. He stopped the chair by the bed, “Come on, Sammy, I dare you to do it again. Dare you.”

“Dean, why would I do that?”

“Because, I have no doubt you can. Come on, Sam, I know you can if you want it bad enough.”

 

 

 

***************************************

 

 

 

The next morning Dean awoke to Sam screaming and the house in an uproar.

“DEAN! DEAN!

He ran up to the third floor and Sam’s room, breathless after navigating the house to get there.

“Dean! Dean! “Sam was shouting at the top of his lungs, “Deeean!” He started to yell at someone else in his room “NO! I’m not going to do what you tell me anymore. It was fine! I WAS FINE! GO AWAY!

Dean walked into Sam’s room, straight to his brother’s side, and grabbed Sam by the shoulders. He glared at the man who he presumed was the doctor, “Sam, settle down!”

Dean looked around noting their father’s absence. He sighed and looked at Missouri as he mouthed “Dad?” she nodded then mouthed 'Soon'.

Dean turned back to Sam, “What the Hell is going on Sam?”

“The doctor…Gordon Walker,” Sam sneered. “He told me I should have never gone downstairs. Never left my room, I don’t want him anywhere near me!” He glared at the doctor who was getting progressively more and more indignant. “You hear me? LEAVE! GO! Don’t TOUCH ME!”

“SAM!” John came in roaring “ENOUGH.”

“DAD! I DON’T want him anywhere near me! I was fine! Get HIM OUT OF HERE!” Sam started to wheeze, his breathing had become ragged.

“SAM! CALM DOWN AND BREATHE!” Dean looked him in the eyes “Sam, come on …”

Sam met Dean’s eyes and started to regulate his breathing, as he copied his brothers slow and even breaths. Dean looked up at his dad before pointing at the doctor and yelling, “Get him OUT of here. Dad he’s not doing Sammy any good. LOOK at HIM.” Dean watched his brother struggling to breathe. “Get HIM OUT.”

John watched the doctor as he packed his bag. He noticed John’s glare and returned it in full, “Just so you know, you will be billed for my visit. I refuse to be spoken to like that by an ungrateful spoiled brat like your son.” Gordon glanced at John smugly, secure in the knowledge that John would continue to pay him to treat his son. He had all these years after all, he had no reason to believe any different now. The doctor grabbed his bag and stormed out of the room. He was halfway down the hallway when John’s voice made him stop in his tracks. His quiet measured tone somehow menacing.

“Oh, Dr. Walker, Missouri will give you your fee as you leave. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out since you won’t be needed again.”

 

 

***************************************

 


	7. Chapter 7

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Seven

 

Dean sat with Sam until his panic attack had passed. He’d once seen a kid at Bobby’s in the throes of a full-scale panic attack after the kid’s father had brought them there for an exorcism. He’d watched with wide eyes as Bobby had calmed Andy down and helped him through it. Dean did the same thing now for Sammy. He made everyone else leave Sam’s room, just leaving the two of them and their father.

“Dad, I want to ask you for a room. I need somewhere I can go as a retreat. I want to do up a room on my own. D’you mind?” Dean asked. Sam looked at him curiously, as Dean mouthed ‘trust me’. Sam nodded and watched his father for his response.

“Sure I guess. Why? You know we could get the builders to do it.”

“I know, but I’m getting a little twitchy. I’m used to going out in the yard at Bobby’s and banging around on the cars there. I need to keep busy, Dad. Hell…” he grinned, “I sure couldn’t do any worse than some of those rooms.”

John chuckled in acknowledgment, “Yeah, okay. Here,” John grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and handed Dean a credit card. “It’s yours. I have it organized at the bank. Just use that for whatever you need. Charge the costs for your project to it too and I’ll pay it.”

Dean reached out and took it from his Dad.  
“Hey? Where’s mine?” Sam pouted.

John shook his head. “Not until you’re older, Sammy, give it another two years.” Sam huffed in mock annoyance. “You know now we’ve gotta find another doctor. Any bright ideas?”

 

 

**************************

 

 

A few days later

 

“SAM! …SAMMY…Dude! Answer me!

Dean’s voice echoed through the house as he ran upstairs to Sam’s room, taking three of four steps at a time. “Sam!” He burst through the door to Sam’s room, only to have Ellen silence him with a glare.

“Dean, what on God’s green earth are you doin’? You know Sam’s busy now.”

“Awww...Come on Ellen, I got somethin’ I wanna show Sam. You know he needs to get outta here.” Dean grinned at Ellen, hoping it would sway her into his way of thinking. “He needs a change of scenery, don’t ‘cha Sammy.”

Sam glanced up at Dean, raising his head from his textbook. Dean’s excitement was infectious and Sam hadn’t suffered any ill effects from their last little trip around the house. “Come on Ellen … you always told me I should leave my room…”

“Come on Ellen,” Dean echoed.

Ellen moved towards Dean, as she pretended to brandish the textbook at him, “Go on, Sam you can pick this up again tomorrow. Go get outta here.”

Dean grinned, lighting up his whole face, “Come on Sammy, and get up! I found the perfect—“

“Get up? Dean …you do know who you are talking to right?” Sam teased.

Dean had the grace to blush over the misstep of his enthusiasm and continued. “I meant get up into your chair. What did you think I meant?” he said as he tried to bluff Sam. “Come on, I gotta show you dude. It’s awesome.”

Dean helped Sam off the bed and into his chair, and practically raced him through the corridors of the house as if it were a formula one race. He wanted to get there as fast as he could to show Sammy his new project. Dean knew Sam would be just as amazed as he was the first time he ever saw her sleek black lines. Okay, he knew that there probably wouldn’t be anyone left at the house that had as much love for that car as he did, but Dean just knew Sam would take a shine to it. Dean approached the barn doors and handed Sam a blindfold. “Here, you gotta put this on. Can’t have you ruining the surprise now can we.”

“Come on Dean I’m not twelve, open the damn doors already,” Sam’s impatience just made Dean perversely more determined to drag it out longer. As he opened the doors to wheel Sammy through, he chuckled.

“Ok Sam, take off the blindfold.”

Sam looked around the interior of the barn in awe. “We’re still in the house right? I mean this barn is IN the house?” He looked around at the expanse of space that Dean had claimed for his own.

“Yup, Dad said I could pick anywhere to restore when I asked for a room. Don’t s’pose he figured I’d ask for this room in particular.”

“What’s so special about this room apart from the size?” Sam asked as his gaze finally settled on the object covered with a canvas sheet in the middle of the room.” Is that why I haven’t seen you for days?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t started without you. I wanted to get everything ready before I brought you down to help me.”

“Help you? Dean what the hell can I do, and what the hell is under there?”

Dean wheeled Sam over to the sheeting and replied, “See for yourself.”

Sam drew back the coarse covering, stunned to see the remains of what was once a 1967 Black Impala sedan. “Where did it come from? I’ve never seen it before.” He said as he wheeled himself backwards to get a better view of the car.

“Well no, that’s not strictly true. This is the car dad was driving that night we ran off the road," Dean stopped abruptly as the memories of that night began to wash over him again.

“This is the car? He kept it all this time?” Sam gazed at the ruin of a car before him. “Why?”

“Dunno Sam, I guess it meant too much to him to leave behind. He used to be part owner of a garage back in Kansas when we were little, I s’pose he decided to bring it back with him to restore.”

“Does he know you found it Dean?”

“NO. No, not yet, just you and me. No one else knows anything. Well, maybe Missouri, but I haven’t said anything but …”

Sam chuckled. “Missouri just needs to look at you Dean and you give up all your secrets. You can’t hide a thing from her. Hell I never could.” Sam wheeled himself closer to the car then traced his hand over her damaged and timeworn body. “You really gonna fix her?”

“Nope, we are. Bobby brought me up tinkering around on the old Junkers out the back of his salvage yard. I know we can do it. I know you can do it.”

“I know nothing about cars, Dean. I haven’t been in one for years. What do you honestly believe I can do to get the car on the road?”

“Dude, there’s lots you can do. You don’t need to just sit there and watch me.”

“Like what Dean?”

Dean squatted down beside Sam’s chair and handed him a wrench. “Well to start with you can help me undo these bolts.” Dean indicated to the bolts holding on the driver’s door. “We have to strip her down to build her back up again. We have to get her back to her former glory, and you know you’re not gonna get out of this unscathed. You haven’t truly worked hard enough on a car until you’ve shed blood over it.”

“What?” Sam said alarmed. Dean could tell that shedding any blood over a car sounded a little off to Sam especially with his father out hunting demons.

Laughing at Sam’s horror Dean reassured him. “Your hands, Sam, You’re gonna end up with scraped knuckles from working on her. You’ll also end up greasy and oily, but you’ll never get a better feeling seeing it all come together. First though we have to strip her back to bare metal. I want to do her right Sam. I want her to look brand new.” The gleam in Dean’s eyes as he spoke of restoring her, made Sam smile. Dean’s enthusiasm was catching.

“So we ‘strip’ her right back?”

“Yeah, I’ll help you. First things first though, I have to take out the motor and transmission. Once they’re out then we’ll remove the grill, headlights, taillights and bumpers so that we can get to the body panels. The hood, doors, trunk and fenders, then we’ll strip her interior, dash, and seats.”

“Won’t it be hard taking the motor out? With the front all crumpled like that?”

“Nah, the engine bay is pretty straight, though the chassis might need straightening—“

“You really know your stuff don’t you,” Sam said in awe.

Dean beamed at his brother’s praise. “Yeah I do. Bobby taught me a lot.” His smile faltered a little at the mention of Bobby.

“You miss him.” Nervousness had crept into Sam’s voice.

Dean stood up and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder “Yeah.” He stopped and thought for a moment.” I missed you more though,” Dean said in a small voice.

“What did you say?”

Dean rubbed his hand over the back of his neck; the nervous gesture wasn’t lost on Sam. He knew Dean had admitted to having missed having his brother to grow up with, he also knew he wouldn’t repeat his ‘chick flick’ moment.

“Noth—” Dean started and cleared his throat, “nothing. You know you can even help with stripping down the doors once they’re off. We need to remove the door cards, armrests, handles, and window winders too. THEN I’m gonna sandblast her, and you can polish her chrome till she gleams while I do it. Well, the bits I don’t replace anyway,” he amended with a grin.

Sam looked overwhelmed. “This is gonna take forever. What about the motor?”

Dean pointed to the large object under the canvas sheet in the corner. “I had to get her a heart transplant.” His eyes lit up as he spoke, “A brand new, 427 big block Chevy motor. She’s gonna purr.”

Sam quirked one brow, “Heart transplant, Dean?” he queried with a chuckle. “It’s a car.”

“She’s not just a car,” Dean glared at Sam as he stroked the car’s roof. “Don’t you listen to him, baby.”

Sam snorted. “Sure Dean. Okay. So when do we start?”

“How do you feel about right now? Are you done with Ellen for the day?” Dean asked

“Yeah I am, she’s just glad to see me up and around. I’m so far ahead it won’t matter. Hey, won’t we get discovered? I mean we’re not exactly gonna be quiet fixing it.”

“It’s not ‘it’ it’s ‘HER’, and nope. The work on the house will mask any noise we make, and Dad’s not likely to be around to see what we’re up to from what I’ve seen.”

Sam looked down at the floor and mumbled “No. He doesn’t stay very long.” Sam’s voice filled with pain, “Sometimes I think he’s ashamed of me. The son, who will never follow in his footsteps,” He wiped away a tear that had escaped and trickled down his cheek.

Dean couldn’t bear to see the pain in Sam’s eyes. He was still getting to know the brother that he lost so long ago, but his ‘protect Sammy’ instinct that drove him from the Impala that night was still in full force. “Sam, don’t say that. No one would be ashamed of you. Even though you can be a little bitch.” he smirked.

Sam looked up to see Dean grinning at him “Jerk”

 

 

 

**************************

 

 

 

They worked on the Impala until the smell of dinner was wafting through the house, calling them to eat. Sam and Dean entered the kitchen, and watched with amusement as Missouri and the cook were in the middle of a heated conversation. Sam grinned up at Dean, “Dad may own the house, but Missouri rules it.”

Missouri smiled as she saw the boys enter. “Well, where have you two been all day?” She chided good-naturedly.

Sam looked up at Dean, a silent plea for what to say in his eyes. “Ummm…”

Missouri laughed. “It’s alright boys I know what you’re up to. You don’t have to say it out loud.”

“You do?” Dean asked his eyes wide, “How ‘cause you’re a psychic?

“Boy! That ain’t got nothing to do with it,” she huffed indignantly. “Who do you think pays the bills around here?” she laughed. You sure are going the whole hog restoring that car.”

Dean grinned. “Yeah I want to fix her up for Dad, and Sam’s gonna help me.”

Missouri raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Good on you Sam. I’m glad to see you out of your room.”

Sam blushed, (he knew Dean wasn’t going to let him live THAT down), “Well my first trip with Dean downstairs taught me that I was ok. Nothing happened to me. After what I've put you guys through, I’m actually a little embarrassed.

“That’s ok Sam,” Missouri said. She smiled at him. “I guess by following Dr. Walker’s orders we sort of let you get away with it. Have you ever wondered what else he might have been wrong about?” she asked. Concern and something else threaded through her voice, “Sam, I know you haven’t been out of your chair for so long, but I never trusted Doctor Walker. I told your daddy but I don’t think he saw through him they way I did. He was always so eager to come at every sniffle or ache. Most doctors would tell you to take 2 aspirin and call them in the mornin’ instead, he’d be here claiming he needed to run every test in the book. Who knows what tests he said he ran. I tell you, your daddy was a fool when it came to that man.” Missouri shook her head.

“He was milking Dad for the money,” Dean said accusingly. “Yeah, I can see him doing all that.”

Missouri nodded, “Your father listened to me for most things, but when it came to Sam’s health he felt ‘safer’ trusting a Doctor. In most cases that would be wise, but all he did for Sam in my mind was hold him back.”

Sam thought about what Missouri was saying. He had been holding on to his secret for so long that he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t be in trouble for keeping it. Slowly, bit by bit, when he was up in his room alone he had been trying to use his legs. He knew Missouri would chase after him with flaming sporks for keeping it secret. Sam looked up from beneath his bangs and softly spoke, “I’ve sorta…” he stumbled over what he wanted to say before beginning again, “I’ve kinda been trying to use my legs, trying to stand.” Sam saw the stunned looks from both Dean and Missouri, and added quickly “I didn’t want to say anything in case I couldn’t. I didn’t want to keep if from you Missouri I swear, I just wanted to be sure before I said anything. Before I got your hopes up; before I got Dad’s hopes up.”

Missouri walked over to Sam and put her arm around him. “Oh honey, that’s wonderful! Can you do it? Can you stand on your own?”  
Sam nodded. “But I can’t do it for very long, and I sorta need something to hold on to, for security.” Missouri’s smile lit up her face before she gently hit Sam on the shoulder.

“Ow, what was that for?” Sam asked as he rubbed his shoulder, though he had a pretty good idea.

“You had me haulin’ your ass in and outta that chair, when you could’a helped, that’s what.” She chuckled.

Dean smiled and looked thoughtfully at Sam. If he was able to stand who knew how much further he could go before being able to walk again. Dean knew there were no guarantees but there was nothing wrong with thinking positively either. He resolved then and there to try and give Sammy little things to do that might just help him gain his strength back. “Hey are we ever gonna get to eat or what? My stomach thinks my throats been cut, I’m starving.”

Missouri glared at Dean before breaking out with a grin “Sure come on now, before it gets cold. Sam, you want me to wheel you into the kitchen?”

“I’ll do it--,” Dean volunteered before being cut short by Sam.

“No Dean, I can do it.” Sam said as he wheeled himself into the kitchen ahead of them.

Missouri looked at Dean in astonishment. “I don’t know what you’re doing boy, but keep it up. He’s never wanted to wheel himself anywhere before. Come on let’s eat.”

 

 

**************************

 


	8. Chapter 8

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Eight

 

Sandblasting the Impala had been a sound choice to bring her back from the depths. Dean thought sometimes that the Impala wasn’t only thing that had revived. Dean paused as he tightened the bolt on the front fender of the Impala. Sam had been a spoilt little shit when he had first met him, more interested in himself than others. Since they had begun to work on the Impala Dean had realized that it had been the lack of contact with people his own age that had helped make Sam such a prissy little shit. Sure, he had Missouri and Ellen, Jo and even Ash, but they were all people who worked for his father; well ok Jo didn’t, but they weren’t family. Sam had craved his family the way that Dean had and now that they were back together, Dean could see the changes in his brother.

“Hey, Space boy?” Sam threw the soft foam-sanding block at Dean, and watched as it bounced of his brother’s head, sending a cloud of dust into the air. “What are you thinking about?”

“You,” Dean said honestly. “Since I came home you’ve really changed, you know that Sammy? Of course I was the catalyst for the change.” Dean said with a smirk.

“You’re so full of yourself Dean!” Sam grinned as he picked up a new sanding block from beside his feet, his chair close by but empty. Dean had been at him for the last few days to try and stand on his own. Slowly day by day, he had been able to stand beside the Impala as he sanded the thin layer of filler on her body as they got her ready for the undercoat. Dean had been methodically repairing and replacing the panels and she was beginning to look more and more like the car she had been. Sam drew his chair closer and slumped down into it. “That’s it Dean, I can’t stand up any longer today.”

“I mean it though Sammy, before you had never been out of your room. Now, you are not only downstairs; which I credit as a personal triumph of mine to get your prissy ass out of bed,” he laughed before continuing “but you’re even standing now on your own for a while each day. You’re not such a bitch to everyone anymore and to tell you the truth I even think you enjoy working on my baby.”

“You do remember that you were doing the car up for Dad don’t you? She’s not yours?”

“Yeah, yeah, she will be though. One day.” The reminder she wasn’t his sent a pang of regret through him before he continued. “Sam, do you ever wish you were out of that chair for good?”

“Sure Dean, who wouldn’t? I’m just happy now I can stand for short periods at a time though man, that’s more than I ever hoped for before. Why?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking--” Dean glared at the guffaw that came from Sam, “As I was saying I’ve been thinking, and I’ve been researching exercises and stuff on the computer, you know for people who have been confined to a chair. Sam with the amount of strength you are beginning to get back now, I really think if we did them then we might even…” Dean hesitated, he didn’t want to get Sam’s hopes up too high, but he wanted Sam to have something to strive for in the future. “We might even be able to get you strong enough to even try walking.”

Sam watched him long and hard, deep in thought. “Ok, who are you and what have you done with my brother?” Dean looked at him confused. “You were researching on the computer? I thought you hated research. You told me you hated having to research for Bobby.”

“Yeah well that was because I would have rather been hunting than being stuck with research. So what do you say? You want to give it a go?” Dean refused to let it go until he got an answer from Sam.

“You really think I could?” Sam said thoughtfully.

“Sure, I think you can do anything if you want it bad enough.” Dean finished tightening the almost forgotten bolt on the fender before walking over to pick up the driver’s side door. He lined up the hinge with the boltholes. “Hey Sammy, come over here and help will you?”

Sam wheeled himself around the car to where Dean was balancing the door. “Here, help hold this up for me while I do up the bolts,” Sam leant forward and grabbed the door from Dean, holding it at the angle Dean wanted. “I gotta line her up just right or the door won’t sit straight.” Dean watched with pride as Sam leant forward. He barely complained about his back anymore. Dean wondered if Sam had even had a problem to start with or if it was all a result of Dr Walker’s diagnosis. To tell the truth all he wanted was Sam well again.

Dean tightened the last bolt on the door hinge “That should do her Sammy, scoot back and take a look.”

Sam rolled backwards to get a better perspective. “Wow. Did we really do all that? I’ve never done anything like this before.” Pride shone through Sam’s voice. Dean knew the Impala still needed a lot of work, but she looked like herself again. Her body was still a mess of patches and bare metal but the undercoat was the next job he had planned for her. Then Sammy would see how close she truly was.

“We did. You and me Sammy. You know we just might make a mechanic out of you yet.” Dean grinned. “ Come on Sam, break time.”

 

 

*****************************************

 

 

Later

 

“Come on Sammy, here grab on to me.” Dean reached down to Sam as he helped him to stand.” Lean on the Impala while I set your chair over there.”

“Dean, are you feeling alright?” Sam said with a grin, “Seriously ‘Lean on the Impala’? Since when?”

He shrugged. “Well she’s not painted yet, so you’re safe. Now quit stalling.” Dean smirked. He walked back to Sam. “Do you think you can do it Sam? I mean you haven’t been doing these exercises very long. Do you think that you’re strong enough?”

“Well I’m never going to know unless I try. I’ve been standing up and sanding the car so I’m a little stronger, I’m just not sure how mobile I am.” Sam looked up at Dean from beneath his bangs, suddenly shy. “Uh, would you mind holding on to me?”

“Sure Sammy, just take it slow.” Dean offered his arm for support as Sam took his first tentative step forward. Frustration marred his face as he slowly moved his leg.

“Come on Sammy, that’s one. You can do it.” Sam concentrated hard as he moved his other leg forwards. He leaned heavily on Dean’s arm as he took another step, then another. “Hey Sam your doing it! One more, come on!”

Slowly Sam got more confident with each step he took, till his grin lit up his face. “I can do it Dean… I can actually do it!” Sam said as he stumbled forwards. Dean grabbed him before he lost his balance and toppled them both over. “You sure did. Whoa Dude, not so fast,” Dean said, “Come on, take a break and rest for a minute, then we’ll try again.”

Sam gratefully slumped back down into his chair. “That was awesome,” he said elatedly.

Just think yourself lucky you didn’t fall over and dent my girl.” Dean taunted.

“I’ve been thinking Dean. How much more do we have to do on the Impala? Dad’s been gone for weeks now. He must be due home soon. How’re we going to keep it secret? He must know about the charges you’ve made to the card he gave you by now.”

“Nope, Missouri told me that Dad lets her handle all that. Missouri said she’s gonna help us. As for the Impala, I think she’s almost done. Once you’ve finished shining all that chrome, I gave you---“

“Dude, that stuff is gross. I’m black by the time I’ve finished a bumper. How much more of that crap do I have to polish?”

Dean glared at Sam.

Sam’s face reflected his horror as he realized he had made the fatal mistake of referring to a part of the Impala as crap. He backpedalled quickly otherwise Dean would be a bear to live with for the rest of the day. “Dean, I didn’t, I mean, the polishing… the polishing is crap. Not the Impala.” He looked pleadingly at Dean.

Dean broke into a bright grin and replied, “Figured that.” He laughed, “You are so easy dude. Now,” He nudged Sam with his elbow and continued “You ready to help me give her another coat of primer?”

 

 

*****************************************

 

 

 

Missouri sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee warming her hands as she mused over the last few weeks. She’d watched the changes in Sam with amazement. Dean had made such a difference. Not only could she go forever before seeing Sam in his room, but also she never found Sam without Dean anymore. Day after day after Sam’s lessons, they’d disappear to the room Dean had claimed and wouldn’t return till dinner. When they’d emerge, they were tired and exhausted after a long day on the Impala and covered in primer overspray. A shrill ring came from the telephone interrupting Missouri’s reflections.

“Missouri,” Ellen called, “Call for you.” Ellen entered the kitchen with the cordless phone in her hand. “ It’s John.”

“John, how are you?”

Ellen walked away in search of Jo leaving Missouri to the call. Jo had been tormenting Sam and Dean for days trying to discover the secret of where they were and where they went each day. Sam promised to show her as soon as they were finished, but her curiosity had been killing her. A flash of blonde pigtails whipped past, as Ellen walked by Dean’s room.” Joanna Beth! You better not be snooping around in there.”

Jo walked out, a rueful expression on her face at being caught. “I just wanted to know what they were doing. I thought that Dean might have left a clue in here. I already tried Sam’s room”

“You were snooping?” Ellen accused.

“No it was research. I’m a hunter.” Jo said proudly before realizing her error as her mothers face clouded over in anger. “I’m hunting them mom…so I needed to research. See if I could find something.”

“You are going to leave those boys alone. Now scoot. No more hunting.”

Jo scowled at her Mom before she stomped away. She’d show her. She’d find out what was going on. At least Sam used to play with her sometimes, before Dean came. Now, neither of them had any time for her anymore. Since they started whatever they were doing, she’d been left to hang out with Missouri and her Mom and that just wasn’t right, she thought. Bored, Jo decided to do the one thing she loved in the house---exploring.

Exploring the house had always been the fun part of living with Sam and his family and Jo had spent hours at it. It had always been a way to pass the time, as long as she didn’t get lost in the process. Noises from the construction of the house were never ending, but some thing about the noise and the smell coming from the room she was just passing made her take notice of it for the first time. She had passed the huge doors before, not paying it much attention. This time though there was a hissing noise and a weird paint like smell coming from inside and two muffled voices. When she realized it was locked she tugged at the door frustrated. Seeing the keyhole, she knelt down to peer through. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Walking around the corner Ash’s voice rang out. “Jo Harvelle, what do you think you’re doin’?

 

 

*****************************************


	9. Chapter 9

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/spangels_girl/pic/0002z575/)

Chapter Nine

 

 

“SAM CAN YOU BRING ME THAT SPRAY GUN?” Dean called over the noise of the air-compressor as it chugged loudly and refilled its tank with air.

“WHERE?” Sam shouted

“JUST OVER TH---” Dean began before the compressor hissed and went silent, it’s tank now full. “Over there by the bench.” he said, relieved he didn’t have to shout anymore.

“Sure, ok.” Sam slowly shuffled along the side of the Impala using his chair for support. He’d been getting better and better at walking around. He grabbed the gun and handed it back to Dean.

“How many more coats do you think she needs?” Sam asked, as he pulled the mask down from his mouth.

“This is the last one.” Dean beamed, “She’s sure looking pretty now Sam.” He watched as Sam made his way back to where he’d been standing, while Dean had finished painting the hood. Dean stood up and looked over towards the sawhorses that supported the trunk. “Just the final coat on the trunk and we can put the trim back on.”

“Finally, Sam rolled his eyes. “Dude, the smell is enough to give you a major league headache. Yet you don’t seem to get them. What gives?”

Dean shrugged, “Just used to it I guess, I’ve been restoring cars forever. I can’t wait to see her with all her trim back on. She looks naked.”

“Like that would be a problem for you,” Sam said with a grin. He started to walk back towards Dean, using his chair for support. They both turned as they heard the rattling noise that sounded from the door, catching the slight movement as someone tried to open them.

Dean walked over and turned the lock, coming face to face with Jo and Ash. Dean’s eyes widened at the realization that Jo had tracked them down. “Jo! What are you doing here?” He looked behind him to Sam standing beside the Impala still, and closed the door, his hand still on the door handle. “What exactly did you see?”

Jo looked up, embarrassed she’d been caught.”Nothing,” she said innocently.

Ash turned to her, “You’d better tell him, or I will.” Ash offered his hand to Dean, “I’m Ash. Jo here, was just peeking through keyholes. Now! Jo or I’ll get Ellen to get it out of you.” Dean shook his hand, “Dean.”

“Alright.” She pouted “I saw you and Sam in there, and a big black car. Where’d the car come from?”

“Anything else?” Dean asked, not bothering to answer her yet.

“No,” Jo said defiantly.

“Anything else,” Ash repeated, “Come on Jo.”

“Fine,” she huffed “I saw Sam standing up out of his chair. How long has he been able to do that? Can I go in and see him? Come on, he’s like my brother. Why can’t I see him?” Jo barely drew a breath between each question.

Dean sighed and felt a tug on the handle, as Sam opened the door and wheeled himself through. “Hey Jo, what are you doing here?”

“Why are you still in your chair Sam? I saw you standing before.” Jo’s eyes reflected her bewilderment.

“Well it’s a surprise. We were hoping to keep it secret a little longer before we showed everyone. Will you keep it secret for me? Just for a little longer.” Sam said hoping she’d agree.

“What do you want me to keep secret? That you can stand? Or the black car?”

“How about both? Please Jo? We want to surprise Dad. I know it would mean a lot to both Dean and Me.” Dean watched as Sam used the ‘puppy eyes’ on Jo. The kid was nobody’s fool though and the effect was lost on her.

“What’s in it for me?”

“How about, I DON’T tell your Mom that you were ‘hunting’ again.” Ash threatened.

Jo hesitated for a moment before saying “Alright, but only cause I don’t need Mom coming down on me,” she turned to Ash with a pout. “Since when did you become Mom’s snitch?”

“Around the time you started snoopin’ in my room,” Ash said, exasperated.“Now go.” Jo poked her tongue out at Ash as she left. “Sorry dude, I just came down on my way to grab some stuff from the basement and caught her peering in. I don’t think she’ll mention it.” Ash turned to walk off and added, “Nice car man, See ya later Sam. Nice to meet you Dean.”

Dean nodded “Yeah you too.” Ash had only gone a few paces when Dean added “Hey man, love the ‘do’.”

Ash looked around with a grin. He ran his hand over the top of his head then followed it down the length at the back and shrugged “All business up front and a party in the back” He smirked as he walked off.

“Come on Sam,” Dean turned to face his brother “Let’s go finish up”

 

********************************

 

 

A few days later

John had a million and one things running through his head as he drove up the winding drive to the house. He had been so over whelmed at having Dean back home again, that he’d had to leave and try and get a little clarity. On the way home John drove to the cemetery where Mary rested; he needed to let her know that their son was home again.

 _Earlier_  
John slid from his black truck feeling overwhelmed by the joy and sorrow that was overtaking him. He reached in for the bouquet of flowers that he had bought for Mary’s grave. Her favorite roses dominated the assortment. John slowly walked to her graveside, and knelt down on the damp grass.

Sighing deeply, John sought out the words he needed to begin.

“He’s home Mary,” his voice quivered with emotion. “Dean’s home again. Missouri was right all those years honey. He was out there.” John tried to hold the tears inside “I even knew where he was all these years. Why?” he looked upwards; his lips trembling as he fought the urge to let it all out “Why couldn’t I tell it was him? Shouldn’t I have been able to tell?”

John’s shoulders heaved as the tears came. “You never got to see him. Mary you’d be so proud. The boys are back together. Sam… Sam” he fought to find the words he needed. “He’s better, he’s not walking but, Mary the change in him since Dean’s been home. It’s amazing. Missouri’s been keeping me updated. Sam and Dean, they’re inseparable just like they used to be.” He moved forwards to sweep away the leaves that had gathered beside her headstone. “Mary how do I start to make up for all the years he was gone?”

The leaves around Mary’s grave skipped as they were caught up in a little whirlwind before floating down to blanket the ground again. “Dean still, “he began “he’s still protecting Sammy even now Mary. I made a stupid choice with the doctor I got in to look after Sam. I came home and the house was in an uproar.”

“Dean even has Sam out of his room now baby. I’d gone back home to be there for Sam’s appointment with Dr Walker. When I got there Sam was screaming at the top of his lungs trying to get the doctor to leave. He was having a full blown panic attack. Dean was there trying to calm him just like he used to when he was a baby.” John chuckled even as tears still slipped down his face “I half expected to see him on the bed beside him like he used to; when Sam was upset all those years ago. I’ve been wrong Mary. I left to clear my head about all this when all I did was cloud it more. I should have been home all the time.” John lifted his face skywards. “I miss you baby, but I needed to tell you about our boys before I went home. You’d be so proud.”

John felt a gentle touch; soft like a lovers caress, across the side of his face. He leaned into it, eyes closed as he heard a voice just as soft. “I am, Love.” John opened his eyes to see the misty form of Mary slowly appearing before him. “I am so proud of you and our boys. You need to go home Love, they have a surprise for you.” John smiled at the peaceful look on Mary’s face. “Goodbye John.”

“Goodbye Mary” he sighed as Mary disappeared from sight. Rising wearily John brushed the dirt and leaves from his knees and walked back to his truck. He needed to see his boys again. Opening the door, John’s heart was lighter than it had been in a long time. He climbed in and started the ignition, a spark of memory triggered with the ignition of the car. The boys had a surprise for him. Time to go home.

 

John pulled up outside the front of the house and shut off the motor. He took a moment to compose himself before he opened the driver’s door. He jumped to the ground and waited for the beat up old pickup that had followed him home to pull up beside him.

“John , you ok?” Bobby asked as he got out of his pickup, “We can wait a little longer before you go inside if you want.”

John looked over at Bobby “Thanks Bobby. I’m ok. Actually I can’t wait to see the boys again.” John threw his arm over Bobby’s shoulder “It’s good to be home.”

Bobby looked at him with wry amusement. “Well if you hadn’t been so pig headed and stayed here; instead of taking off like I tol’ you NOT to, you wouldn’t have been missing them in the first place.”

John had to admit that Bobby had a point. He had been pig headed and stubborn. He had to see the boys. “Come on Bobby; let’s see if we can’t surprise a couple of boys.”

“You might surprise the boys John Winchester, but you ain’t gonna sneak up on me.” Missouri said with a grin as she met him at the door. “Come on in Bobby, the boys are around here somewhere. Though with…” Missouri thought for a moment “What’s the total so far? One hundred and sixty rooms, they could be anywhere.”

Bobby looked across at John, “You told me it was big, but what the hell? A hundred an’ sixty rooms? Ain’t that just a touch too many?”

John just laughed as they walked into the house.”Yeah I guess it is.” He threw his jacket down on a chair in the hallway before calling “SAM, DEAN, I’M HOME!”

Ellen walked over to John and Bobby “Welcome back John,” She said with a smile. “Sam was getting a little worried; you were gone for so long.” Ellen paused before adding “Hey, Bobby good to see you again.”

Bobby smiled back “Good to see you to Ellen, hey where’s that little Hellcat of yours. She must be eight or ten by now isn’t she?”

“I’m twelve, well nearly… but I will be soon.” Jo pouted as she walked in from the kitchen. “I know where Sam and Dean are you know. They wanted me to keep it a secret. So I cant tell you.”

“You can tell them I’m here though Jo,” John said, “I need to see them.”

“Sure I could …if I wanted too.”

“Joanna Beth if you know where those boys are you go get them right now. That’s an order.”

Jo huffed. “Alright I’ll go. But I wanna be there when they show you their secret.”

 

 

 

********************************

 

 

 

“SAM…DEAN… You gotta come on out. You’re Dad’s home.” Jo yelled as she bashed on the door. “Come on, or Mom’s gonna have my ass. DEAN…SAM!”

“Alright, ok hold you’re horses, I’m coming.” Dean opened the door. “Jo I told you…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know but your Dad’s home and he’s calling for you.” Jo said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

“You didn’t tell him did you? After you promised you wouldn’t?” Dean glared at her. She shook her head. “I just said I wanted to be there when you showed him your secret. Do you want me to bring him down here? Oh and he has someone else with him too.”

“Sure, send him down. Thanks Jo,” Dean closed the door and walked back to Sam. “You ready Sam? I mean, my baby is ready but are you sure you wanna try it today?”

“I’m sure Dean. Let’s do it.”

Dean walked over to the Impala and ran his hands along her side, “Baby you are beautiful. Just look at you gleam, Sam…” his eyes lit up “isn’t she beautiful. We did it. We brought her back.”

Sam grinned and wheeled himself closer to the Impala. “Dad’s gonna love her.” He knew Dean had planned to restore her and give her to Dad, but he also knew Dean would always pine for her. He loved the car almost as much as he loved Sam. A knock sounded sharp and clear breaking the silence.

“Boys, ‘you in here?” John knocked again “Can I come in?”

Dean walked over and opened the door slightly, “Uh hey, we have a surprise for you Dad. Wait a minute. Just stay here.” Dean closed the door and walked back over to Sam. “Sam! Blindfold?” Sam wheeled himself over to Dean and handed him the blindfold, and returned back to the car.

Dean grinned as he opened the door again. “You’ve gotta wear this Dad. He tied it around John’s head, making sure he couldn’t see. “OK Dad, come on in.” Dean held onto John’s elbow as he drew him further into the room. When John was beside the Impala Dean took the blindfold off.

John looked around the room, his gaze finally settling on the Black beauty in the room beside him. His eyes lit up with amazement. “Is this … Is this her?” Dean nodded proudly. “You did this, all by yourself? Dean this is amazing!”

“I didn’t do it all by myself. Sam helped me. He’s been with me every step of the way.” Dean said proudly. “He helped me sand, repair dents, clean chrome and he replaced panels as well. He took care of the interior too. We made a good team.”

John looked up from where he admiring the repairs along her side. “Sam, you and Dean are amazing. I never thought I’d see her looking like this ever again, but I just couldn’t bring myself to sell her for scrap.”

A soft coughing noise came from the doorway as the boys looked up to see Bobby standing beside the door. “Can I come in?”

“Bobby! Come in, come in, look what Dean and Sam have done, “John looked up at Bobby, tears of happiness glistened in his eyes.” I can’t believe it.”

Dean walked over to Bobby, clasping his former guardian in a warm hug. “Good to see you Bobby”

“You too Dean,” Bobby pulled away from the hug with a wide grin. “Look at what you boys’ve done. This is amazing. I’m gonna miss your talent back home Dean.”

Dean captured Sammy’s gaze and nodded. Sam slowly began to rise from his chair, until finally he was standing upright on his own, unsupported. “Dad?”

John turned around to see Sam standing on his own. The tough marine exterior that Sam had always known crumbled before his eyes as his father began to realize what he was seeing. Tears flowed freely down his face as Sam smiled and took his first steps towards his father in thirteen years. Step by shaky step Sam walked unaided towards his dad, before finally stumbling into his arms. “I can walk again Dad! I can walk!”

“Sam,” John sobbed “Sam I am so very proud of you. How? How did this happen?”

“It was Dean. He wouldn’t let me sit up in my room anymore. He looked at my back and my legs, and he wouldn’t listen to me whenever said that I couldn’t do something. He dragged me downstairs and showed me that I was ok Dad, we explored the house. The house! Dad it’s awesome,” Sam’s thoughts began to tangle themselves as he tried to tell it all as fast as he could. “Then when he showed the car he told me we were going to fix her. He searched for exercises on the net although he hates research. He does doesn’t he Bobby?”

Bobby nodded as Sam resumed his tale, “We did them all as Dean helped me regain my strength. I helped him all the way with the Impala, and only today; well this was the first time I walked on my own. Wasn’t it Dean.”

Dean nodded with pride. John walked over to Dean aiding Sam with every step. I’m so proud of you both. Thank you Dean. You have given Sam back to me, He’s like the boy he used to be.” John was bursting with pride. “Dean, the impala is beautiful but she doesn’t belong to me anymore.”

Dean looked confused, “What? What do you mean?”

“I mean she’s not mine Dean… She’s yours. You’ve earned her. Dean you have made me happier today than I have ever been since we were all together before your mother died. If this car will make you as happy as I am today,” he chuckled as he saw the realization slowly cross Dean’s face “Then Dean you are welcome to her. I love her, don’t get me wrong. She’s beautiful and I kept her all these years because she was my first love; after your Mom of course.” John watched as Dean’s eyes lit up, “Dean, I can see you love her already. I know she’s gonna be looked after.”

“He calls her Baby,” Sam grinned.

John grinned back.”So did I.”

~fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I hope you liked it. There will be a master post of places I found my information and other notes tomorrow.Linked through this page. But right now I need sleep. :) So till then ... I hope you liked it!


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